Titanium carbonitride was vacuum deposited onto M2 tool steel substrates by reactive magnetron sputtering. The objective was to compare the properties of coatings made using individual gases with those made using a premixed tank of argon, nitrogen and methane at calculated partial pressures. If successful, a premixed tank can simplify the sputtering process and reduce variability. For each of the four coatings, the paper reports data on the reduced modulus and hardness of coatings calculated from unloading curves of nanoindentations, and residual stresses in the coating measured on an x-ray diffractometer. Comparing coating 1 with 3 (standard process) shows that using a premixed tank produces the expected hardness. Coating 2 shows the effect of too low a ratio of N:Ti due to a higher setpoint. Coating 4 shows the effect of too low a C content in the coating due to the reduced methane flow.