Simple Fonts

[Ade]

I have a lot of name engraving to do and need a font that is quick to process through on the machine. Every .TTF font I have tried so far takes anywhere from 1 1/2 minutes to 2 1/2 minutes for a simple first and last name (13 characters). Is there a way to shorten the machining time? Maybe a simpler font? I've looked at the single line fonts within Vectric thinking this might be a solution but, for some reason, can't get them to work. (I was hoping to get my engraving time down to around 45 seconds, if possible.) This is my first time on the forum so maybe there is a previous thread that might shed a little light as well (?) Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!

[FixitMike]

The single line fonts , cut with a V bit using the Profile Toolpath ON the line should machine the fastest. Don't use the Ramp option, and in the Material Setup set Z2 to a small value. Z1 can also be set to a low value, but you will have to have it high enough to clear the clamps. A high plunge rate will reduce the time, too.

[cusoak]

Hi Have you ever seen any videos on doing what you suggest. I am sort of visual guy so videos help.
Thanks Jeff

[Adrian]

Just try it in the software. The preview will show you what it looks like.

[Ade]

Thanks for the responses! I have not found any tutorials on simple fonts but would welcome them! The problem I've had with these fonts is when I go to toolpath. I've tried to toolpath them as a v-carve but I get all kind of errors with vectors not being connected, so, I wasn't sure where to go from there. When I did what Mike suggested, (thanks, Mike, by the way) I got it to create the toolpath without errors. I will be testing it shortly to see if these fonts will actually save me time. It still doesn't make sense to me why I would have to do this as a profile cut as opposed to a v-carve but it seems to be working so far.

[Adrian]

A V-Carve toolpath cuts in the gap between an inner and outer vector. Think of a doughnut or a letter O. A profile toolpath only needs a single line as it follows that line only.

[martin54]

If you get errors when trying to generate a vcarve toolpath then there is a problem with the particular font you are using, could be an open vector or a loop/crossover in the vector. You mentioned an error about not being connected which would indicate an open vector.
The problem with a lot of true type fonts is that they were really designed for printing where these things don't matter, if your getting your fonts from a free download site then the chances of having problems will generally increase.
Signmaking fonts are optimised for cutting so places like Letterheads are good places to look to buy fonts https://www.letterheadfonts.com/viewallfonts/

I have a lot of Adobe type 1 fonts working as a signmaker & have never had any problems that I can think of when cutting these on either the vinyl plotter or the cnc.

A picture would probably have helped as there may be other ways to achieve what you want to do, vcarve, profile & engraving toolpaths will all work with text but the best option can vary from job to job.

This tutorial won't help with a font selection but it covers v carving toolpath so will help you to understand why you can't use a vcarve toolpath with a single line font
http://support.vectric.com/tutorials/V9 ... video_id=3

[FixitMike]

I just tried a quick test drawing. Total machining time according to the Toolpaths Summary for the same text (Michael's Test) .75 high. 100 ipm, 60 degree V bit. 1.4 Scale Factor.

Times New Roman Font, VCarved .06 flat depth, .010 stepover 1 minute 39seconds.

Gothic 1L ( Single Line) Font, Profile carved on line, .06 deep. 35 seconds.

[Ade]

Hey guys, thanks so much for the help! I've never gotten an error with the true type fonts and they all machined okay. It just took a long time to machine - longer than what I wanted to spend. The errors that I was getting with all the open vectors were only with the single line fonts in vectric. But, maybe that's because I was trying to Tool path using a vcarve instead of a profile?

[Adrian]

Hey guys, thanks so much for the help! I've never gotten an error with the true type fonts and they all machined okay. It just took a long time to machine - longer than what I wanted to spend. The errors that I was getting with all the open vectors were only with the single line fonts in vectric. But, maybe that's because I was trying to Tool path using a vcarve instead of a profile?

See my reply a couple of posts above as to why you can machine a single line font with a VCarve toolpath.

[LittleGreyMan]

But, maybe that's because I was trying to Tool path using a vcarve instead of a profile?

Yes. See Adrian's short explanation for V-Carving. It requires closed vectors. Did you watch the video Martin recommended?

[Ade]

Yes, I was able to watch that video - thanks for recommending! This makes much more sense now. I see now how it relates to an individual line as opposed to a set of closed vectors. So, this leads me to one other question - when doing a profile cut on a single line, is it a problem having one side cut conventional and the other climb? Will I have a rough and a smooth side since it's not doing a clean up pass to make it all conventional?