There has been increasing attention to the use of voice coil actuators (VCAs) for precision motion applications. In this paper, a detailed design of a cylindrical VCA is presented. Different options for the overall configuration are evaluated according to various criteria and design variables are defined for the chosen configuration. After that, optimization parameters are derived to maximize the performance in a precision motion application by maximizing the acceleration and minimizing the heat dissipation. Design parameters are optimized using finite element analysis to evaluate the magnetic properties. Optimization is carried out using the bulk volume of coil, which allowed electrical properties to be later characterized via the selection of wire gauge. Calculations for evaluating resistance, inductance, current drain, and voltage supply requirements for dc and dynamic cases are presented. Magnetic field predictions and formulations used in force calculations are verified in experiments.