Stick to your Contact Manufacturer’s RequirementsĮnsure you meet all your CM’s clearance and dimension requirements.
SILKSCREEN DESIGNS SOFTWARE
Even if these fonts are easy and fast for your software to create, you should consider using only fonts approved by your contract manufacturer (CM). Some fonts won’t work during the manufacturing process. But, your silkscreen won’t be visible if the contrast is insufficient. Plus, you can adjust the shades to create a sharp contrast with your solder mask color. It’s not necessary to use fancy colors on your PCB’s silkscreen. So, please leave it to the professionals and order a silkscreen along with your PCB. Since it’s an artistic application, a DIY silkscreen won’t give you the results you’d get from a manufacturer, especially if you don’t have the required skillset. Here are some things to consider when designing silkscreens for your PCB: Don’t DIY However, you’ll need some level of craftsmanship to master this method.īaking Oven Considerations when Designing the PCB with a Silkscreen It’s a simple way to create silkscreen layers, and you can make large-sized texts. Then, you’ll cure the ink by baking it in an oven. It also makes the traces with nylon and directs ink via the stencil on the board’s laminate or layer. In essence, it’s a process that requires stencil printing for traces and texts.
SILKSCREEN DESIGNS MANUAL
You can use manual screen printing If your board’s track width is more than 0.007” or its registration tolerance is 0.005”. However, LPI uses more ink than the other imprint methods and has a long set-up time. After that, you’ll need to cure inks and develop the board. Moreover, the method requires you to coat your laminate with epoxy and expose it under UV light. It’s similar to applying a solder mask and offers high accuracy. LPI is your go-to method if you’re printing lines that are more than four miles. After that, you must expose the ink to some UV light.įurthermore, avoid using acrylic ink on PCBs with silver finishes because it’s not a suitable match-up. First, you’ll have to apply the ink on your board via CAD software.
It’s a process that requires acrylic ink and an inkjet projector. Direct Legend Printing (DLP)ĭirect legend printing is the most expensive method among the three. There are three ways you can apply silk screen on your PCB. It also helps provide a device’s information, so you won’t be lost if you don’t have a datasheet. These test points also provide information that makes testing and troubleshooting easier.Ħ. Additionally, Silkscreens can help manufacturers and technicians identify board issues quickly with test points. Also, with a silkscreen, it’ll be easy to locate your components through reference designators.ĥ. Silkscreens can help you quickly identify your boards’ unique numbers and test points.Ĥ. Warning symbols: As the name implies, warning symbols tell you what voltage points you shouldn’t cross or handle.ģ.
SILKSCREEN DESIGNS HOW TO
In contrast, the polarity indicators show you how to place polarized arrows.Ģ.
The Pin 1 indicators show you how to connect component pins on a footprint pad. Under this, we have the Pin 1 indicator and polarity indicator. Reference indicators: silkscreen helps show reference indicators that help identify components through BOM. But, they help provide manufacturers and engineers with helpful information. Why is Silk-screening Important?Īs we mentioned earlier, silkscreens don’t affect a board’s functionality. Also, you can choose from various fonts, but ensure the values stay legible.Īdditionally, the traditional method for silk-screening requires you to stretch a polyester screen on aluminum frames, use a laser photoplotter, curing ovens, and spray developer. The more common colors for silkscreen texts are yellow, black, and white. Indeed, silkscreens use non-conductive epoxy ink that won’t interfere with your board’s performance. You’ll usually find silkscreens on the component side of any PCB, but it’s also possible to use them on the solder side (though it’s more expensive). Silkscreen is the topmost layer of a PCB that identifies parts of the PCB, marks, references, components, symbols, and test points. The point of using a silkscreen is for easy component identification. This article will show everything about silkscreen and what to do when designing a PCB with one. But don’t worry if you don’t know much about silkscreens. Undoubtedly, you may never get the proper component placement without it. In such scenarios, what you need for your PCB is a silkscreen. But what if you end up using the wrong component placement? After all, a standard PCB can use multiple resistors with different references, so how do you find the perfect positions to place components? What is Silkscreen？ After manufacturing a PCB, you’d need to place your components in their proper positions.
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