User Manual

ManualsBrandsSherline Machining Tools ManualsMachine AccessoriesSherline High Speed Air Spindle / Engraver

Engraving Programs

Here are a couple of free or low cost programs that

can get you started in engraving type, line art and even

pictures. Sherline does not offer technical support for

these programs, but we felt it would be helpful to our

customers to let you know these resources exist. The ﬁ rst

program offers a great start and a lot of good features for

free. As your needs increase you may want to upgrade

to the second program which offers more sophisticated

features at a very reasonable price.

DeskEngrave (Free)

DeskEngrave allows you to enter text in any TrueType

font and export to a DXF ﬁ le or create G-code directly

from the outline of the entered text. Text can be straight or

wrapped around a radius. When creating G-code directly

from DeskEngrave, engraving depth, rapid height, feed

rate, plunge rate, and the precision of the created text

are all controllable parameters. Exporting to a DXF (the

standard for vector drawings) gives you the opportunity

to combine multiple texts with a CAD program, allowing

for highly-complex engraving designs, which can then be

saved as a single vector image and converted to G-code

by any number of DXF-to-G-code converters.

DeskEngrave is small, easy to install, and should run

on any Windows-based system (Win95 or better). It is

included in the Utilities folder on the backup instruction

CD included with Sherline CNC systems or 8760 driver

boxes. You can also download DeskEngrave at: http://

www.deskam.com/deskengrave.html.

Direct download is at: http://www.deskam.com/DLOAD/

DeskEngrave.Exe.

Using DeskEngrave

When you open the DeskEngrave program, use the Help

feature to ﬁ nd instructions for its use. This is a very simple

program to get started with.

DeskART—Free 30-Day Demo

DeskART is a more full-featured program than

DeskEngrave. While not free past the 30-day trial, it does

offer a larger range of features. (Current price is about

$175.00 for purchase of download version.) It can take

the most common graphics ﬁ le formats (JPG, BMP, GIF,

TIF, and PCX) and, using the levels of brightness in the

image as a topographical projection, create G-code to mill

a 3D engraving (black areas are engraved deepest; white

areas are set as ZØ and not engraved). When creating the

G-code, the image can be rescaled to match the size of

the engraving you wish to make, and parameters such as

engraving depth, depth per pass, feed rate, rapid height,

and axis increment size can be set.

More details about DeskART and a 30-day demo, are

available at: http://www.deskam.com/deskart.html

Direct download is at: http://www.deskam.com/

DLOAD/DeskART.Exe

Using DeskART

Instructions for use of

DeskArt

are available from the

DeskArt are available from the DeskArt

Help menu once you have installed the program. The size

of the increments you enter will determine the detail of

your image. Engraving a one-inch square image in .005

increments, for instance, will give you a more detailed

picture than one done in .010 increments, but the duration

of the engraving process will also be twice as long, since

you will be milling the image in two hundred passes

instead of one hundred.

NOTE: DeskART reduces the size of the engraving by

25%, so you will have to increase the size of the picture

you want to convert to G-code by 133% to compensate.

9/21/10