7 Checks to Make Before Sending Gerber Files to PCB Manufacturing
Exporting a PCB design is not the same as verifying the manufacturing package. Your board may look correct in the original design application, but the fabricator normally works from exported Gerber, drill and supporting files. A missing outline, displaced drill file or incorrect layer can therefore survive unnoticed until somebody inspects the actual deliverable. The safest habit is simple:…
Before sending Gerber files to PCB manufacturing, verify the manufacturing package includes all required components. Extract the package into a new directory for review, keeping the original untouched. Confirm the package contains top and bottom copper layers, internal layers, solder mask, silkscreen, drill files, board outline, and any necessary data for assembly or stencil creation. Note that file extensions alone do not guarantee completeness.
Open all related layers simultaneously within a PCB manufacturing-file viewer. This enables you to spot issues such as different origins, empty or small layers, content outside the board area, displaced drill holes, or mismatched outlines. Use contrasting colors, change layer order, and toggle visibility to aid in identifying problems.
Verify the board outline and dimensions against the mechanical specification. Check for duplicate or broken segments, missing internal cutouts, or unexpected routing on other layers. Measure the overall dimensions and confirm they match the intended profile. Look for any construction geometry or unrelated features outside the intended profile.
Align drill holes with copper layers, considering compatible coordinates, units, and origins. Examine through-hole component pads, vias, mounting holes, tooling holes, and plated or non-plated features. Ensure drill layers have the correct tool diameters and that both plated and non-plated data are present and correctly interpreted.
Inspect copper, solder mask, and silkscreen layers individually and together. Check for missing or unexpected tracks, pads, flashes, or copper areas. Overlay mask and copper layers to confirm pad exposure and alignment. Inspect silkscreen reference designators, polarity marks, and other printed objects near pads, holes, and the board edge. Ensure mechanical data has not been unintentionally included on production layers or omitted from necessary drawings.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
