PURPOSE: To shorten an operating time and to enhance engraving efficiency by raising and lowering a cutter by an energizing means energizing a lift table in a rising or falling direction and a solenoid.

CONSTITUTION: A seal material 7 is held to the clamp member 13 on a slide table 12 and the slide table 12 is moved according to a preset program. The seal material 7 moves so as to follow the contour of a character and a continuous line is shallowly engraved in the seal material 7 along the contour of the character by the cutter 6. The seal material 7 is continuously moved in parallel while shifted positionally and, during this movement, a lift table 46 and the cutter 6 are allowed to fall at the part to be deeply engraved of the seal material by drawing near an attraction plate 40 downwardly against a spring 44 by the supply of a current to a solenoid 20 to deeply engrave the seal material 7. At the engraving leaving part of the seal material 7, the cutter 6 is drawn up by the force of the spring 44 by cutting off the supply of a current to the solenoid 20. The supply of a current to the solenoid is controlled by a computer.