Homebrew PCBs

On 23/12/2010 2:21 AM, mmaudioelectronics wrote:
>
> Hi guys,
>
> Wow Leon, that's very kind of you but that will be my last resort in 
> case I don't find any other solution. Zorane, I've already tried that 
> with local print shops but those guys simply don't know what I want. 
> You know that face expression, like... heck, what is this guy talking 
> about? PCB mask? :)) Besides, which format I should use to export my 
> designes from Altium Designer? Acrobat .pdf?
>
> Regards ppl.
>
I use Altium and and print to pdf regularly. I personally use cutepdf 
pdf printer and you can either change the default print settings for 
normal print output (i've modified a fabrication output and set it to 
default) or set up a custom output job that just prints the layer I want 
and multilayer, and sometimes I'll have a separate layer with an outline 
border / alignment marks. Be sure to set it to a monochrome print with a 
scale set to 1.
I find altiums built in pdf output always seems to scale the image, 
and/or stuff up the image quality. The separate pdf printer is higher 
quality.

I've also got a cygwin script that takes a printout from altium with top 
and bottom layers on two separate pages and puts them both on one page 
with a border around each, makes it easier to make toner transfers 
and/or transparencies. If I'm doing a toner transfer I separate the two 
sides by 1.6mm then I can just fold the paper over the edge of the board 
for easy alignment of sides. If anyone's interested let me know and I'll 
upload it somewhere with some basic instructions when I find some time.

Andrew


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