Where are tabs in Carveco?

Carveco calls them bridges. Add them in the profile toolpath or from the Toolpath menu.

The sign imported in the middle of the model.

Centering was on during import. Undo, import again with it off, and the lower-left corner lands on the origin.

How to Carve a Wooden Sign in Carveco Maker

Carveco Maker is the hobby edition of Carveco, sold by subscription, and it has every toolpath a carved sign needs. This guide shows how to bring in the layered DXF from your download without moving it, then build the toolpaths in the order the README gives.

Which edition? Carveco Maker, Maker Plus, and Pro all include V-Bit Carving, Profile, Area Clearance, and bridges (tabs). Reordering toolpaths after you make them is a Maker Plus feature, so in Maker, create them in cutting order from the start.

Updated October 3, 2026.

The recipe in Carveco terms

Your README lists only the steps your sign needs, in this order. Here's what each layer becomes in Carveco:

Layer	Bit	In Carveco
VCARVEV-carved letters and border	V-bit	V-Bit Carving. For a flat depth, set Flat Depth.
POCKETBackground around raised letters	End mill	Area Clearance on the rim and letters together.
HOLESScrew holes	End mill	Profile, Inside, through the board.
CHAMFERBeveled edge	V-bit	Profile, On the vector, with the V-bit.
CUTOUTCut the sign out	End mill	Profile, Outside, with bridges (tabs).

Make the model

Carveco calls the job a model. Make it the size of the board and put its origin on the lower-left corner, which is where the DXF’s 0,0 is.

1
Click New Model and choose your units. Inches are fine; the file’s units are set separately on import.
2
Enter the width and height of the board from the README, or of the larger blank.
3
Click the lower-left corner of the white box to put the origin there.

Import the vectors with their layers

Carveco can keep each DXF layer as its own vector layer, which saves a lot of clicking later.

4
Import the .dxf (from the Vector menu, or drag it into the view).
5
In the import options, set the file units to millimeters, turn on Preserve layer, and turn off centering in the model, so the sign stays where its lower-left corner is at the origin.
6
Check the Vector Layers panel: you should see VCARVE or POCKET, then CUTOUT and the others your sign uses. Measure the outline against the README.

Set the material

Open Material Setup from the Toolpath menu. Enter your measured board thickness and set the material Z zero to the top of the material, so every depth in the README is measured down from the face you’ll zero on.

V-carve the letters

Hide every layer except VCARVE, then drag a box around the sign to select its letters, rules, and border line.

7
Create a V-Bit Carving toolpath and pick your 60° or 90° V-bit from the tool database.
8
Automatic depth: leave Flat Depth off, so the bit follows each stroke.
9
Flat depth: turn on Flat Depth and enter the README’s value. The bit then clears the wide floors flat at that depth.
10
Calculate, and look at the toolpath preview for strokes the bit can’t reach.

Raised letters: Area Clearance

On a raised sign, select everything on the POCKET layer: the rim’s inner edge, the letters, and the counters inside them. Carveco clears between the nested shapes and leaves the letters standing.

11
Create an Area Clearance toolpath with your end mill.
12
Set the depth to 3/16 in (4.8 mm) and choose offset or raster clearing.
13
Turn on ramping if your end mill doesn’t like plunging straight down.

Screw holes

Select the circles on HOLES and create a Profile toolpath, cutting Inside the vector, to the README’s through depth, with a 1/8 in end mill. A 1/4 in bit is bigger than the 5 mm holes; drill those by hand at the marks.

Bevel the edge

Carveco’s Bevel Carving is for text, not edges, so the bevel is a Profile toolpath run on the outline with the V-bit, 1/8 in (3.2 mm) deep. Make it before the cutout.

Cut it out with bridges

14
Select the outline on CUTOUT and create a Profile toolpath, Outside the vector, with your end mill.
15
Set the depth to the README’s through depth, a hair past the board’s thickness.
16
Add bridges, Carveco’s word for tabs: about 1/4 in long and 1/8 in thick, four or more spaced around the sign.

Simulate and save

17
Use Simulate All Toolpaths to watch the job; the letters, the background, and the bevel should all look the way the preview picture in your zip does.
18
Click Save Toolpaths and choose your machine’s post in the Machine file format list.
19
Without an automatic tool changer, save the V-bit toolpaths and the end mill toolpaths as separate files, in the README’s order.
20
Zero X and Y on the lower-left corner and Z on the board top. Re-zero Z only after each bit change.

Finish the sign

Trim the bridges with a flush-cut saw and sand. Seal or mask the face before V-carving if you plan to paint, then paint the letters and sand the face clean. A raised sign looks best with the background painted and the letter tops sanded bare. For outdoor use, give every surface an exterior clear coat.

Questions about Carveco

Where are tabs in Carveco?: Carveco calls them bridges. Add them in the profile toolpath or from the Toolpath menu.
The sign imported in the middle of the model.: Centering was on during import. Undo, import again with it off, and the lower-left corner lands on the origin.