• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Defining Your Business
  • Choosing Your Niche
  • A Business Plan
  • Market & Location
  • About Your Competitors
  • Home Based Office Vs. Retail Location
  • The Facility
• Chapter 2: Advertising And Promotion
  • Promoting Your Engraving Business & Products
  • Getting The Word Out
  • World Wide Web/Internet
• Chapter 3: Equipment
  • Which Engraving System Is Right For Me?
  • The Basic System
  • Spindles
  • Nosecones
  • Cutters
  • Engraving Accessories
  • Engraving Peripherals
  • Third-Party Software
• Chapter 4: Operations
  • Computer Strategy
  • Purchasing from Suppliers
  • Pricing Your Services and Products
• Chapter 5: The Engraving Process
  • Engraving Methods
  • Design Elements
  • Layout and Job Design
• Chapter 6: Materials
  • Plastic
  • Reverse-Engraved Materials
  • Metals
  • Glass & Crystal
  • Wood
  • New Options for Engravers
• Chapter 7: Basic Engraving Techniques
  • Approaching the Job
  • Proper Depth Control
  • Diamond-Drag Engraving
  • Burnishing
  • Oxidizing Engraved Metal
  • First-Surface Rotary Engraving
  • Non-Nose Ride Engraving
• Chapter 8: Advanced Engraving Techniques
  • Reverse Engraving
  • Engraving On Glass
  • Creating Cut-Out Shapes
  • Engraving Thin Gauge Materials
  • Engraving Stainless Steel
  • Engraving Odd-Shaped Items
  • Engraving Gift Items
  • 3-D Engraving
  • Engraving Extra-Long Plates
  • Using Your Engraver As A Router
• Chapter 9: Troubleshooting And Maintenance
  • Engraving Problems And Solutions
  • Equipment Maintenance
• Chapter 10: Summary & Conclusion
• Appendix A: Business Resources
• Appendix B: Cutter Chart
• Appendix C: Glossary Of Terms

Johnson Plastics is proud to host The Engravers' Bible, The Ultimate Guide to Computerized Mechanical Engraving, by Rich Zydonik.

We feel this guide is still a powerful tool for the mechanical engraver which is still used by a large percentage of all engravers.

You can begin reading this document by selecting a chapter/section or sub-section to the left.

The Engravers' Bible © 1999 by Rich Zydonik/National Business Media, Inc. Printed and Bound in the United States of America. All rights reserved. No part of this self-study manual may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the author/publisher. Additional legal, financial and professional management advice and/or assistance are encouraged.

Reprinted and hosted online with permission from A&E Magazine, National Business Media, Inc., and Author Rich Zydonik.

Portions Highlighted in Red were edited by Johnson Plastics because information was either outdated or no longer relevant.