AS FILED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION ON JULY 24, 1998
                                                       REGISTRATION NO. 333-
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
                                -----------------
                                   ENCAD, INC.
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
                                -----------------
             DELAWARE                                    95-3672088
   (State or other jurisdiction               (IRS Employer Identification No.)
 of incorporation or organization)

                           6059 CORNERSTONE COURT WEST
                           SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92121
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

                                -----------------

                             1998 STOCK OPTION PLAN
                 1997 SUPPLEMENTAL STOCK OPTION PLAN, AS AMENDED
                      NON-STATUTORY STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
                            (Full title of the Plan)

                                -----------------

                                DAVID A. PURCELL
                      CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                                   ENCAD, INC.
            6059 CORNERSTONE COURT WEST, SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA 92121
                                 (619) 452-0882
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)




                              CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
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                                               PROPOSED        PROPOSED
        TITLE OF                                MAXIMUM         MAXIMUM
       SECURITIES               AMOUNT         OFFERING        AGGREGATE       AMOUNT OF
          TO BE                 TO BE            PRICE         OFFERING      REGISTRATION
       REGISTERED            REGISTERED(1)     PER SHARE        PRICE           FEE
                                                                 
1998 STOCK OPTION PLAN
Common Stock,
$0.001 par value             575,000 shares    $14.25(2)   $8,193,750.00(2)   $2,458.12

1997 SUPPLEMENTAL
STOCK OPTION PLAN,
AS AMENDED
Common Stock,
$0.001 par value            115,000 shares     $14.25(2)   $1,638,750.00(2)   $  491.62

NON-STATUTORY STOCK
OPTION AGREEMENT
Common Stock,
$0.001 par value             75,000 shares     $14.25(2)   $1,068,750.00(2)   $  320.63

                                                        Aggregate Filing Fee  $3,270.37
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(1) This Registration Statement shall also cover any additional shares of 
Common Stock which become issuable under the 1998 Stock Option Plan, the 1997 
Supplemental Stock Option Plan, as amended, or the Non-Statutory Stock Option 
Agreement by reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or 
any other similar transaction without receipt of consideration which results 
in an increase in the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock of ENCAD, 
Inc.

(2) Calculated solely for purposes of this offering under Rule 457(h) of the 
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, on the basis of the average of the high 
and low selling prices per share of Common Stock of ENCAD, Inc. on July 20, 
1998 as reported on the Nasdaq National Market.


                                       
                                    PART II

               INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

     ENCAD, Inc. (the "Registrant") hereby incorporates by reference into 
this Registration Statement the following documents previously filed with the 
Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"):

(a)  The Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
     December 31, 1997, filed with the SEC on March 31, 1998;

(b)  The Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter 
     ended March 31, 1998, filed with the SEC on May 15, 1998; and

(c)  The Registrant's Registration Statement No. 001-12652 on Form 8-A filed
     with the SEC on December 6, 1993 in which the terms, rights and provisions
     applicable to the Registrant's Common Stock are described.

     All reports and definitive proxy or information statements filed pursuant
to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the
"1934 Act") after the date of this Registration Statement and prior to the
filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered
hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold
shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement
and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents. Any statement
contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference
herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this
Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any
subsequently filed document which also is deemed to be incorporated by reference
herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any such statement so modified or
superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to
constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

ITEM 4.  DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

     Not applicable.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL

     Not applicable.

ITEM 6.  INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS

     The Registrant's Bylaws (the "Bylaws") provide that the Registrant 
shall, to the fullest extent authorized by Delaware law, indemnify any 
director who is made, or is threatened to be made, a party to an action or 
proceeding, whether civil or criminal, administrative or investigative, by 
reason of being a director of the Registrant or a predecessor corporation of 
the Registrant, or is or was serving at the request of the Registrant as a 
director or officer of another corporation; provided, however, that the 
Registrant shall indemnify any such agent in connection with a proceeding 
initiated by such agent only if such proceeding was authorized by the 
Registrant's Board of Directors (the "Board"). The Bylaws further provide 
that such indemnification provisions shall: (i) not be deemed to be exclusive 
of any other rights to which those indemnified may be entitled under any 
bylaw, agreement or vote of stockholder or disinterested directors or 
otherwise, both as to action in their official capacities and as to action in 
another capacity while holding such office, (ii) continue as to a person who 
has ceased to be a director, and (iii) inure to the benefit of the heirs, 
executors and administrators of such a person. The Bylaws provide that the 
Registrant's obligation to provide indemnification shall be offset to the 
extent of any other source of indemnification or any otherwise applicable 
insurance coverage under a policy maintained by the Registrant or any other 
person. The Bylaws further provide that the Board in its discretion shall 
have the power to indemnify any person, other than a director, made a party 
to any action, suit or proceeding by reason of the fact that he, his testator 
or intestate, is or was an officer or employee of the corporation.




     In addition, the Registrant's Certificate of Incorporation (the 
"Certificate of Incorporation") provides that, pursuant to Delaware law, its 
directors shall not be personally liable for monetary damages for breach of 
fiduciary duty as a director, except for liability (i) for any breach of the 
director's duty of loyalty to the Registrant or its stockholders, (ii) for 
acts or omissions not in good faith or involving intentional misconduct, 
(iii) for knowing violations of law, (iv) for actions leading to improper 
personal benefit to the director, and (iv) for unlawful payments of dividends 
or unlawful stock repurchases or redemptions as provided in Section 174 of 
Delaware General Corporation Law.

     The Registrant maintains a directors' and officers' liability insurance 
policy that, subject to certain limitations, terms and conditions, will 
insure the directors and officers of the Registrant against losses arising 
from wrongful acts (as defined by the policy) in his or her capacity as a 
director or officer.

ITEM 7.  EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION CLAIMED

     Not applicable.

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS



EXHIBIT NO.   EXHIBIT
           
     4        Instruments Defining Rights of Stockholders. Reference is made to
              Registrant's Registration Statement No. 001-12652 on Form 8-A, 
              which is incorporated herein by reference pursuant to Item 3(d) 
              of this Registration Statement.

     5        Opinion and Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.

     23.1     Consent of Deloitte & Touche, LLP, Independent Public 
              Accountants.

     23.2     Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is contained in 
              Exhibit 5.

     24       Power of Attorney. Reference is made to page II-5 of this 
              Registration Statement.

     99.1     1998 Stock Option Plan.

     99.2     Form of Notice of Grant of Stock Option.

     99.3     Form of Stock Option Agreement.

     99.4     1997 Supplemental Stock Option Plan, as amended.

     99.5     Form of Non-Statutory Stock Option Agreement.


ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS

     A. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes: (1) to file, during any 
period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to 
this Registration Statement (i) to include any prospectus required by Section 
10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), (ii) to 
reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective 
date of this Registration Statement (or the most recent post-effective 
amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a 
fundamental change in the information set forth in this Registration 
Statement, and (iii) to include any material information with respect to the 
plan of distribution not previously disclosed in this Registration Statement 
or any material change to such information in this Registration Statement; 
PROVIDED, however, that clauses (1)(i) and (1)(ii) shall not apply if the 
information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those 
paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the Registrant pursuant 
to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act that are incorporated by 
reference into this Registration Statement; (2) that for the purpose of 
determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each such post-effective 
amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the 
securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time 
shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof; and (3) to 
remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the 
securities being registered which remain unsold upon the termination of the 
Registrant's 1998 Stock Option Plan or the Registrant's 1997 Supplemental 
Stock Option Plan.

     B. The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
determining any liability under the 1933 Act, each filing of the Registrant's
annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the 1934 Act that is
incorporated by reference into this Registration Statement shall be deemed to be
a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the
offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.




     C. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the 1933 Act
may be permitted to directors, officers or controlling persons of the Registrant
pursuant to the indemnity provisions summarized in Item 6 or otherwise, the
Registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification
is against public policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and is, therefore,
unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such
liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or
paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the
successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such
director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being
registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate
jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public
policy as expressed in the 1933 Act and will be governed by the final
adjudication of such issue.




                                   SIGNATURES

      Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto
duly authorized, in the City of San Diego, State of California on July 22, 1998.

                                   ENCAD, INC.


                                   By: /s/ DAVID A PURCELL
                                       ------------------------------------
                                       David A. Purcell
                                       Chairman and Chief Executive Officer


                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS:

           That the undersigned officers and directors of ENCAD, Inc., a 
Delaware corporation, do hereby constitute and appoint David A. Purcell and 
Richard A. Plante and each of them, the lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, 
with full power and authority to do any and all acts and things and to 
execute any and all instruments which said attorneys and agents, or either 
one of them, determine may be necessary or advisable or required to enable 
said corporation to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and 
any rules or regulation or requirements of the Securities and Exchange 
Commission in connection with this Registration Statement. Without limiting 
the generality of the foregoing power and authority, the powers granted 
include the power and authority to sign the names of the undersigned officers 
and directors in the capacities indicated below to this Registration 
Statement, to any and all amendments, both pre-effective and post-effective, 
and supplements to this Registration Statement and to any and all instruments 
or documents filed as part of or in conjunction with this Registration 
Statement or amendments or supplements thereto, and each of the undersigned 
hereby ratifies and confirms all that said attorneys and agents, or either 
one of them, shall do or cause to be done by virtue hereof. This Power of 
Attorney may be signed in several counterparts.

           IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has executed this 
Power of Attorney as of the date indicated.

           Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as 
amended, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following 
persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.




SIGNATURES                        TITLE                                DATE
                                                                 


/s/DAVID A PURCELL                Chairman and
- ---------------------------       Chief Executive Officer              July 22, 1998
David A. Purcell                  (Principal Executive Officer)


/s/RICHARD A PLANTE               President and                        July 22, 1998
- ---------------------------       Chief Operating Officer
Richard A. Plante









SIGNATURES                        TITLE                                DATE
                                                                 


/s/TODD W. SCHMIDT                Vice President and                   July 22, 1998
- ---------------------------       Chief Financial Officer
Todd W. Schmidt                   (Principal Financial and 
                                  Accounting Officer)


/s/ROBERT V. ADAMS                Director                             July 22, 1998
- ---------------------------
Robert V. Adams


/s/CRAIG S. ANDREWS               Director                             July 22, 1998
- ---------------------------
Craig S. Andrews


/s/RONALD J. HALL                 Director                             July 22, 1998
- ---------------------------
Ronald J. Hall


/s/HOWARD L. JENKINS              Director                             July 22, 1998
- ---------------------------
Howard L. Jenkins


/s/CHARLES E. VOLPE               Director                             July 22, 1998
- ---------------------------
Charles E. Volpe





                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549


                                    EXHIBITS

                                       TO

                                    FORM S-8

                                      UNDER

                             SECURITIES ACT OF 1933







                                   ENCAD, INC.

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX




EXHIBIT
  NO.     EXHIBIT
       
 4        Instruments Defining Rights of Stockholders. Reference is made to
          Registrant's Registration Statement No. 00-112652 on Form 8-A, which
          is incorporated herein by reference pursuant to Item 3(d) of this
          Registration Statement.

 5        Opinion and Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP.

 23.1     Consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP, Independent Public Accountants.

 23.2     Consent of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison LLP is contained in Exhibit 5.

 24       Power of Attorney. Reference is made to page II-5 of this Registration
          Statement.

 99.1     1998 Stock Option Plan.

 99.2     Form of Notice of Grant of Stock Option.

 99.3     Form of Stock Option Agreement.

 99.4     1997 Supplemental Stock Option Plan, as amended.

 99.5     Form of Non-Statutory Stock Option Agreement.