Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange
Electrical Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [silkscreen]

The silkscreen on a PCB is the printed layer on top that often shows component values or designators along with outlines to assist in hand assembly. On mass-produced boards they are also common to highlight test points and the designation of external connections.

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Why is "silkscreen" called that way?

Why is the set of white labels on a PCB called the "silkscreen"?
Randomblue
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Why is the PCB part number traditionally on a copper layer?

I'm an experienced board designer, having designed 100+ boards over the past decade, and I have yet to hear a good answer for why the PCB part number is traditionally on an external copper layer, and the PCBA part number is on a silkscreen layer. To…
Fix It Until It's Broken
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Silkscreen versus assembly layer

Is there any example, preferably by photos, how does assembly layer on PCB differ from the silkscreen? I understand, that silkscreen reference designators should be left visible after the parts are mounted on the board, and assy layer information…
peter.babic
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Why do some PCBs have the courtyard in the silkscreen layer?

I've seen quite a lot of PCBs which have the passive components outlined all the way in their silkscreen. Something like this: Here there is an outline around each passive which goes (almost) all the way around, and seems to be sized exactly the…
Alex I
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Are these (dis)assembly screw symbols standardised?

Sometimes there are these two half-arrow symbols on PCBs and on enclosures. See the images, for examples. Those symbols are often placed near the screws, that are to be unscrewed upon disassembly. Are these symbols standardised? If yes, which…
PF4Public
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No silkscreen on board? How common is that? What are the advantages?

I'm a young engineer and I just started at my second job. I was surprised to see that the PCBs have no silkscreen. I'm currently working on the redesign of a PCB currently on the field and I'm trying to push for the re-introduction of silkscreen…
AMG
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Which "silkscreen" process for home-made PCB prototypes?

For hobby and learning purposes, I do some PCBs at home, using photo-resist positive development (mainly just single/double layer). Obviously, I realized that most professional PCBs have silkscreen labeling, so I started to read a bit about it. I've…
Adrian Maire
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Acrylic vs. Epoxy Silkscreen?

I have been doing hardware design for years but never really cared which process was used for the silkscreen. Now I have a manufacturer asking for a blanket approval to use acrylic silkscreen on all the PCBs they make for me. On its face I don't see…
Rontopia
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Altium hide component designators in fabrication ourput gerber

As the title says, is there a way to hide the component designators in the fabrication ourput in Altium AD15? I have a very tight board with 0402 parts very close, so there is no room for the designators in the gerber silkscreen. But I want them to…
JakobJ
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Can a permanent marker be used on a PCB without damaging it?

I need to cover up a line of text on the silkscreen of some PCBs and I'm not sure of the best way to do it. I've read that removing the printed text with a chemical will likely damage the boards, so covering it up seems like the best option. Can…
Nate
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Two different silkscreen colours on the same PCB

Has someone seen or used two different silkscreen colours in the same PCB? If so, can you describe the use of them or how the manufacturing process was? Just thinking about improving the aesthetic of the PCBs.
Jesus Castane
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What is the typical PCB fabrication process in a professional PCB house?

I have been etching my own boards as part of my hobby interest into electronics, and I can't help but wonder how exactly is the typical printed circuit board manufactured? Unfortunately, details on the process are extremely scarce online. I am aware…
jms
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Why are bottom silkscreens of PCBs mirrored?

I have looked at some PCB designs and noticed that the bottom-layer silkscreens are mirrored, and the top ones aren't. Why is that?
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Minimum Silkscreen Designator Size

I'm working on a fairly dense PCB at the moment and I'm having trouble fitting in all the component labels. What is the minimum readable standard size for component designators on the silkscreen? For example: What should the width and height be…
tarabyte
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Can Silkscreen Go Directly Onto Copper PCB Layer? (No SolderMask)

Hi I am wondering if a PCB silkscreen layer can be printed directly onto a copper layer without a solder mask. I don't see this often but I have a design for which this would be useful. Has anyone done this?
thegrinch
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