Text--What I am doing wrong?

[tonydrew]

It seems that no matter what font I use, it comes out "whimpy." Thinking Smaller.mpc This is one that I did using Centerline and the text is not deep enough to read. Maybe I'm putting 10 pounds of text on a 5 pound board. I've opened up the spacing and avoided the running together, but would like to find a way for deeper, too.
The results with raster option on other projects have been OK if the area is large enough and less text. In that mode I figured out how to adjust the depth for the look I want.
Here is one that I have not run yet (I did an earlier run using Tabitha text and it's awful). It's a Thank You from the Club to the officer. Have my doubts about how the Club logo will look, too.Major.mpc The Salvation Army logo came out "OK" on another run.
My trash barrel is pretty heavy when I'm experimenting. With a little help some of these might come out better on the first try.
Thanks, folks.

[henry1]

do you have the conform software for deeper text if so use a font bigger letters that will go deeper

[DickB]

Maybe I'm putting 10 pounds of text on a 5 pound board..

In a nutshell, yes.

Your text is quite small. Anything less than 1/2" tall will be a challenge. It can be done if you're careful.

For smaller text I recommend the 60-degree bit. Centerline automatically sets the depth of the bit to produce the desired stroke width of the font. For a given font and size, the 60-degree bit will be set deeper than the 90-degree bit.


For small text chose a simple font with wide strokes, and the Bold option as you have done. The font you have chosed on your Salvation Army is not bad, but try Arial Black.

It will be crucial to have an absolutely flat board, and use Jog to touch the bit onto the board where the text will be. Any variation in board surface can have a dramatic effect on small Centerline text.

Your "Doing the most good" text, being part of the Salvation Army pattern, is noisy and will of course be carved. Frankly it does not look great. I would clean up the pattern, or edit the text out altogether and substitute a Centerline font for that portion.

[DianMayfield]

I opened the file, and it looks like it will carve OK. I didn't have your font, but this is with Arial. The font you choose can make a huge difference.

One of the tricks I use is to tell the machine that I am using the 60deg bit (to go deep), and actually use the 90 deg (to get wider letters). You need to be cautious with this, as the 90deg goes a bit wider, and your letters can run into each other.

The software sets the depth of the centerline so that the bit diameter matches the thickness of the font line, a thicker font will carve significantly deeper so that

[tonydrew]

Thanks for the great ideas. I did not know 60 vs 90 had different depths and never thought about spoofing the machine with selections. Arial is my preferred font, but I had not used the Black.
There are lots of tricks to learn.

[SteveNelson46]

I don't mean to hijack your design but you ask for suggestions. This was done in Version 3 using the 3D sweep tool for the recessed region and Centerline text with Conforming Vectors. It could be done in Version 1.187 if you have the add-ons.

[bergerud]

There were some C machines which had a depth problem involving the controller calibration. LHR has a firmware patch for this. If your machine has never been able to cut centerline even with single bit centerline projects, you might want to give them a call.

[tonydrew]

With this kind of result feel free to hijack anytime! Fantastic improvement.
My machine is about 2 months old and I don't see what version I have. Don't have the 3D tool, but want it now. What is Conforming Vectors with Centerline? Centerline I have.
Thank you.

[Dale]

Conforming vectors lets you put centerline text on any carved surface, even if it is not flat.

[Digitalwoodshop]

If you design text with a V90 but cut it with a V60, sometimes the "I" will look like 2 "Y's" one up side down and other letters will be strange.