Engrave and Fill
- Parts are laser marked or machined engraved, and then the laser-engraved sections are filled with ink.
- The ink fill sits below the edges of the area that has been marked – it does not go all the way from the bottom of the laser-marked area to the top of the substrate.
- End result is a durable and striking form of marking.
- Compliant with the following standards:
- MIL-STD-130
- A-A-56023D
- A-A-00208D (US Department of Defense Property)
- We offer Engrave and Fill text for your custom parts, panels and enclosures. (Logos and large-area capabilities are coming soon).
Engrave and Fill Samples
Materials
Engrave and Fill is available on aluminum.
Compatible Finishes
We can ink fill any substrate and finish that already qualifies for either laser marking or machined engraving.
In addition to no finish aluminum, you can apply Engrave and Fill on many different finishes:
- ★Powder Coat
- ★Grained Finish
- ★Media Blasting
- ★Vibratory Finish
- ★Anodizing
- ★Chemical Conversion Coating
NOTE: For anodizing and chemical conversion coating, the process of laser marking or engraving happens prior to the finishing process. Following the selected finishing process, the parts are then ink filled to complete the Engrave and Fill process.
Fill Colors
For your Engrave and Fill ink colors, you may choose from any of our stocked silkscreen colors.
In order to create the best contrast (which is required by MIL-STD-130), we recommend choosing white or black ink fill, depending on the finish of your parts.
Limitations & Constraints
| Constraint | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Part Size | 28" x 31" x 6.5" (711.2mm x 787.4mm x 165.1mm) |
| Minimum Material Thickness | 0.051" (1.295mm) |
| Minimum Engraving Depth | 0.015" (0.381mm) |
| Minimum Line Thickness | 0.03" (0.762mm) |
| Minimum Spacing Between Letters | 0.025" (0.635mm) |
- •Depending on the style and height of the font you select, your line thickness must be at least 0.030" (0.762mm)
- •Positional tolerance for Engrave and Fill is the same as our Laser Marking tolerance: +/- 0.020" (+/- 0.508mm)
Ink Fill Font Constraints
We recommend using uppercase letters as much as possible because lowercase letters have varying widths in a stroke.
Adobe Illustrator
Character spacing can be adjusted to meet spacing constraints
The ability to manipulate character spacing allows us to have a smaller minimum font size
| Font | Font Weight | Minimum Size | Minimum Character Spacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arial | Regular | 25pt | 55 |
| Arial | Bold | 17pt | 90 |
| Arial | Black | 12pt | 75 |
| Century Gothic | Regular | 31pt | 15 |
| Century Gothic | Bold | 17pt | 60 |
| DinPro | Regular | 30pt | 25 |
| DinPro | Medium | 22pt | 50 |
| DinPro | Bold | 17pt | 75 |
| DinPro | Black | 14pt | 100 |
| Futura PT | Medium | 22pt | 65 |
| Futura PT | Bold | 14pt | 70 |
| Tahoma | Bold | 17pt | 95 |
Other Software
- When character spacing or tracking cannot be manipulated
- Do note that tracking can be adjusted in SolidWorks
| Font | Font Weight | Minimum Size | Character Spacing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myriad Pro | Semi Bold | 25pt | 0 |
| Myriad Pro | Bold | 26pt | 0 |
| Arial | Regular | 30pt | 0 |
| Arial | Bold | 25pt | 0 |
| Arial | Black | 18pt | 0 |
| Century Gothic | Regular | 32pt | 0 |
| Century Gothic | Bold | 25pt | 0 |
| DinPro | Regular | 30pt | 0 |
| DinPro | Medium | 22pt | 0 |
| DinPro | Bold | 17pt | 0 |
| DinPro | Black | 14pt | 0 |
| Futura PT | Medium | 25pt | 0 |
| Futura PT | Bold | 25pt | 0 |
NOTE: We use the fonts mentioned above as they have proven to deliver good results. Should you submit a file in an alternative font, we will convert it to one of the above options. In instances where the font is unspecified, Arial Black will be selected as the default.
MIL-STD-130 (Table II)
Laser Marking is a permanent part marking method which is recommended for applications requiring MIL-STD-130 (Table II).
This standard provides criteria for the selection of the application process, as well as all other specific requirements that will be part of the deliverable item, such as marking protocol, content, font size, type, location, etc.
Simply stating in the product definition data that the marking be in accordance with MIL-STD-130 is not sufficient. The item identification marking requirements must be determined by the Design and/or Acquiring Activity in their contractual instruments, and tailored to meet the needs of their specific application.
Protocase is recognized solely and exclusively as the Manufacturer.
The customer is recognized as the Design Activity. They retain full design and quality assurance control, as well as full responsibility to the acquiring activity for the delivered product.
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