Silkscreen is off?

Archive BatchPCB
1

I am using Eagle and the Sparkfun CAM file. When I upload the zip file, the silkscreen text is constantly off. Just the text that I add myself. It is changed in sized, and shifted left and down. How do you fix this?

2

RazorConcepts:
I am using Eagle and the Sparkfun CAM file. When I upload the zip file, the silkscreen text is constantly off. Just the text that I add myself. It is changed in sized, and shifted left and down. How do you fix this?

Have you used a gerber viewer??

If you have not…then there is the problem. In the translation from software to gerber, things like fonts do shift.

You need to look at your gerber files directly and see if it is a gerber translation problem.

James L

3

Has anyone else experienced problems with the Sparkfun CAM and silkscreen?

4

Hello

In the tab “silkscreen top” verify the selected layer. (in CAM processing).

By default, the layer with text isn’t selected !

5

RazorConcepts:
Has anyone else experienced problems with the Sparkfun CAM and silkscreen?

You didn’t answer the question!!

Have you checked your gerbers in a gerber viewer?

If you have not, then you can not claim the BatchPCB system is off.

Are you adding this text in the gerber itself, or in Eagle??

Typically the text is in a raster format, and is converted to a vector format, which causes some shift in translation.

This problem is really from Eagle, for my software doesn’t have this problem. But in all fairness, I have the ability to type the font as vector.

James L

6

hi RazorConcepts

As I have just been through this process a couple of weeks ago for the first time, so I thought I’d add a few comments.

YannickF, propellanttech have answered the issues.

  1. The Sparkfun CAM file didn’t have layer 25 (tNames) on

  2. Load a gerber viewer and double check, I use gerbv

  3. Turn vector fonts on, Options > User interface > Always vector font

I did this and got PCBs that corresponded to Eagle, Eagle 3D and gerbv displays.

regards

7

Thanks for the replies! Yes I remember the tNames and bNames not being turned on, but it was just a matter of selecting them and saving the new CAM.

I was adding the text in Eagle, and I could see the text being off when batchPCB sent the confirmation email.

I will try the vector fonts next time I order. Thanks!

8

RazorConcepts:
Thanks for the replies! Yes I remember the tNames and bNames not being turned on, but it was just a matter of selecting them and saving the new CAM.

I was adding the text in Eagle, and I could see the text being off when batchPCB sent the confirmation email.

I will try the vector fonts next time I order. Thanks!

You should be able to catch the problem with a free gerber viewer.

You can use any that you like. I use Pentalogix. They have a nice gerber viewer, but it does take some time to get use to it.

James Long