Text Features — PureCut CNC User Guide

Text as a Feature

Text in PureCut CNC is an editable feature, not exploded letter geometry. You can change the text content, font, and style at any time without re-drawing. The text is rendered as vector geometry for machining.

Text features support all the same transforms as other features — move, copy, resize, rotate — and can be assigned CAM operations.

Placing Text

Click the Text tool in the toolbar. The Text Tool dialog opens. Configure the text settings, then click Place. Click on the canvas to position the text.

Text Tool Dialog Settings

Setting	Description
Text	The text content to render. Single-line text is supported.
Style	Skeleton or Outline — see below.
Font	The font to use. Available fonts depend on the selected style.
Size	The text height in project units.

Text Styles

Skeleton

Skeleton text renders each letter as a single-stroke centerline path. This is the style to use for engraving — the tool follows the centerline of each stroke. Skeleton text produces open paths and is best used with the Engrave (Follow Line) operation.

Available skeleton fonts include simple stroke, condensed, and italic variants.

Outline

Outline text renders each letter as a closed outline profile. This style is used for V-carving, pocketing, or cutting out letters. Outline text produces closed profiles suitable for pocket, V-carve, and edge route operations.

Available outline fonts include Helvetiker, Optimer, Gentilis, Droid Sans, and Droid Serif families, each with regular, bold, italic, and condensed variants.

Editing Text

Select a text feature and use the properties panel to change:

Text — the text content
Style — skeleton or outline (changing style resets the font to the default for that style)
Font — the font within the current style
Z Top / Z Bottom — the vertical extent for machining
Operation — add or subtract

Text features cannot be edited in sketch edit mode (the direct node editor). All text editing is done through the properties panel.

Machining Text

The appropriate CAM operation depends on the text style:

Skeleton text → Engrave (Follow Line) — the tool follows the centerline strokes.
Outline text (subtract) → Pocket or V-Carve — machines the interior of the letter outlines.
Outline text (subtract) → Edge Route Inside — cuts along the inside edge of the letter outlines.

Tip: For V-carved text, use outline style with the Subtract operation and assign a V-Carve Skeleton or V-Carve Offset operation. The V-bit will follow the letter outlines and produce a clean carved result.