Open any digital image. Go to the Filter menu and launch AlphaPlugins/Engraver II… You will see the following window with Engraver's parameters.

There are two preview windows. The left window shows a small portion of the image as it will be rendered if the current settings of Engraver II are applied. The right preview window has a box outlining which portion of the image is in the left preview window. Use your mouse to drag this outline to view different portions of the image in the preview. The left window's previewed area can also be moved with the mouse.

Immediately under the left preview window there are options controlling how the previews will be drawn. Their default values should work well for most users.
Auto update - The left preview window redraws each time you change any parameter unless this feature is turned off by clicking in this box to remove the checkmark. Advanced users or owners of older computers may wish to turn off this feature to speed up their work. When the box is un-checked, it is necessary to click on the Update button to apply any parameter changes to the preview window.

Update - When clicked this button redraws the left preview window. When Auto update is un-checked you must manually initiate preview redraws. Advanced users or owners of older computers may wish to choose this feature to speed up their work.

Checkboard background - You can switch on/of checkboard background for transparant fields or show it as black in case if initial source has alpha channel and Engraver will cut image through this channel.

Pattern - This drop-down list shows 13 choices of geometric patterns available to be applied by Engraver II: Lines, Waves 1 and 2, Rings, Rings waves 1 through 4, Spiral, Spiral waves 1 through 4. These patterns can be modified by changing parameters; for example, changing the amplitude or frequency of wave patterns. These patterns, plus their potential modifications, yield a vast variety of possibilities for your images. You can also create elaborate borders by superimposing engraved layers.

Color schema - This is a drop-down list of color modes that may be applied to the original image. The following choices are available:

• Black and white - This mode has four cases:
  When Invert and Fill alpha are both checked, the lines drawn will be black on a white background. Un-checking Fill alpha will draw transparent lines on a white background.
  When Invert and Fill alpha are not checked, the lines drawn will be transparent on a white background. Adding a checkmark to Fill alpha draws the lines black on a white background.
  This mode is the most direct way to render an image as an engraved print or an ink drawing.
• Original color - This mode keeps the colors of the original image. It has four cases:
  When Invert intensity and Fill alpha are both checked, the lines drawn will be black on a color background. Un-checking Fill alpha will draw transparent lines on a color background.
• Split Color - See tutorial for explanation of how to use this feature.

Invert - This parameter changes the way lines are drawn. If Invert is unchecked, the lines will be drawn transparent. (Note: to display a layer with transparent lines, an opaque layer must underlie it.) If Invert intensity is checked, opaque lines are drawn on a transparent background.

Use dots - In this mode the pattern will be represented by set of dots with varying sizes. You can use this to achieve a Pop Art effect, a unique texture, or simulate process color printing.

Not break - When checkmarked, lines in a pattern will be drawn without breaks.

Solid Ink - this checkbox switches off/on the usage of antialiasing for engraving patterns. It can be very useful if you need to prepare an engraving picture i.e. for burning on wood with special device and you need to have a solid black and white picture without halftones. Also it can be helpful if you would like to print an engraving picture of huge size with very high dpi.

Rotation - Use this tool to set the angle of lines and change the orientation of other geometric patterns.

User Presets - this list contains already prepared files with adjusted parameters. Just click on any preset name for to apply this. You can return to last edited combination of parameters - just press Last Used Settings (it is second line in this list). You can save your self presets parameters - just press Save button or you can delete any preset with Delete button.

Space - This value changes the distance between lines.

Width - This value can make lines bolder or thinner overall. (Note: lines vary in thickness in direct proportion to the light and dark values in the original image).

Threshold - This is a term used by Photoshop and other imaging programs to convert greyscale values into white or black by picking a cutoff point. Every grey above the threshold becomes white. The rest become black. Every color in a digital image also has a grey value and can be compared to a threshold for processing. AlphaPlugin Engraver II uses threshold to affect the way the original image is rendered in lines. Basically, the lightest colors or grey tones in an image will produce thin lines, or broken lines, or no lines. Changing the threshold will enlarge or decrease these light areas in an image.

Contrast - This parameter can boost or reduce the brightness an image. The same adjustment is made to every pixel in the image. By carefully adjusting contrast and threshold it is possible to work with even poor quality original images and get acceptable results.

Noise - Use this to simulate the way ink spreads and blurs in actual engravings. This new feature produces more realistic appearing images and reduces unpleasant artifacts that can arise in computer generated art when parallel lines are very close together.

No noise.	With noise.

Randomness - Use this parameter to add distortion (squiggles) to lines. This helps give an image a hand-cut appearance, as if done by an artist's steel tool instead of a computer.

No random relief.	With random relief.

Offset - This moves a pattern in either direction perpendicular to its lines. This parameter can be used to precisely place where a pattern's lines will be drawn in the image. (Note: see also Shift of phase.)

Amplitude - This controls wave size. For example, with Pattern Wave#1 the default amplitude is 100, which is a slight wave. The higher the value is set, the wavier the lines become, but a value of zero produces flat lines. This parameter becomes available when a wave pattern is chosen from the dropdown list at Pattern.

Shift of phase - This changes the phase offset of waves. In other words, the pattern will be moved either direction along the lines of the wave pattern. This parameter can be used to precisely place where a pattern's lines will be drawn in the image. (Note: see also Offset).

Frequency - This changes the frequency of waves. Increasing this value produces more waves.

Center X ,Center Y - Use these to place the center of radial and helix patterns. These parameters become available when radials or helixes are chosen from the dropdown list at Pattern.