Converting a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layout file to a PDF document is a common task, often needed for sharing, documentation, or review purposes. Fortunately, many PCB design software packages offer a direct way to achieve this through their printing functionality.
The most common method to obtain a PDF from your PCB layout is by utilizing the print feature within your design software. As highlighted in the provided reference, you can typically generate a PDF file directly from the printing options.
Steps for Converting PCB to PDF via Printing
Here's a general outline of the process based on the information available and common software interfaces:
- Open Your PCB Design: Load the desired PCB layout file (.pcb, .kicad_pcb, .brd, etc.) in your specific PCB design software (e.g., Altium Designer, KiCad, Eagle, EasyEDA).
- Access the Print Function: Navigate to the "File" menu and select the "Print" or "Plot" option. This action initiates the printing process.
- Configure Printing Options: Click on the print button, which will typically open a window containing various printing options. This window allows you to select layers, set scale, choose output format, and more.
- Select a PDF Printer: Within the printing options window, look for a selection bar or dropdown menu labeled "Printer" or "Name". Here, you need to select an Adobe PDF option or another virtual PDF printer (like Microsoft Print to PDF, CutePDF, PDFCreator, etc.) from the list of available printers.
- Choose Layers/Output: Configure which layers (copper, silkscreen, soldermask, etc.) you wish to include in the PDF. You might want different PDFs for different views or manufacturing outputs.
- Start Printing/Generating: Once the virtual PDF printer is selected and options are set, click the "Print" or "OK" button.
- Save the PDF: The virtual PDF printer will prompt you to choose a location and filename to save the generated PDF file.
Using the built-in print-to-PDF capability is often the easiest and most accurate way to convert your layout, preserving scaling and layers effectively compared to taking screenshots.
Alternative Methods (May Vary by Software)
While printing is the primary method, some software might offer:
- Export Options: Specific "Export to PDF" functions under the File menu.
- Plotting Tools: Advanced plotting tools that allow outputting to various formats, including PDF or formats that can be easily converted to PDF.
However, the print-to-PDF method using a virtual printer is a widely available and reliable approach across different PCB design platforms.
