Tips for including fonts and graphics on PCB in PCB design

Tips for including fonts and graphics on PCB in PCB design

The design of printed circuit board is based on the circuit schematic diagram to realize the functions required by the circuit designer. The design of printed circuit board mainly refers to layout design, which needs to consider the layout of external connections. The optimal layout of internal electronic components, the optimal layout of metal wiring and through-hole, electromagnetic protection, heat dissipation and other factors. Excellent layout design can save production costs and achieve good circuit performance and heat dissipation. Simple layout design can be realized by hand, while complex layout design needs to be realized by computer aided design (CAD)

With the increasing importance of PCB aesthetics, we are making more designs with specific fonts and graphics as part of the PCB screen printing layer. However, if you do not follow the process we will describe, please do not be surprised if the outcome is different from what you expect!

scene

Typically, designers can use their PCB to design specific fonts available in software applications. However, after receiving their PCB from the manufacturer, they realized that the font was different from the specified font. How dare PCB manufacturers make such changes without prior approval? Facts have proved that this is not exactly the case.

What happened

The fonts read by the software used by PCB manufacturers to prepare and review manufacturing designs are different from those read by the software used to create designs. In most cases, when PCB manufacturers review the design, they cannot even recognize a certain font. Instead, when the designer's specific fonts are not available, the manufacturer's software will only read plain text and use standard fonts by default.

What should designers do?

The solution is simple. Convert any text to an image file and include the image in the data file provided to the manufacturer. This can be done in two ways: 1. Use the graphic design program outside the PCB design application program to create an image file, and then insert the image into the design as part of the screen printing layer, or 2. According to the function of the PCB design application program, the software may enable you to perform contour processing or outline the text, and essentially convert it into an image. Please note that according to the design, the image may greatly increase the size of the design file, or even cause processing problems for PCB manufacturers. Therefore, please make the image as small as possible. The PCB processing and assembly manufacturers explain that the PCB design includes fonts and graphics on the PCB.