A part of my layout is densly populated. Therefore there are some overlapping prints on silkscreen layer:
DRC reports errors for such overlapping prints.
Will this be a problem for manufacturing?
Not for manufacturing.
This is only a readability problem on your finished boards.
And it doesn’t looks that good.
You could also decide if you need both (reference + value) printed on silkscreen. If you need only one, that reduces already the needed space.
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no it’s not a problem.
it will just be hard to read
One can also reduce the size of the text to get it to fit…
You can also reduce the grid temporarily so that you can have more flexibility for positioning the value texts. I too sometimes wish for value texts on the board. But the reality is that these days boards are small as it is and I would need a magnifying glass. I think the solution for me is to plot a version with the fab layer on a large piece of paper for assembling the board.
I usually use the ibom plugins html view when doing the assembly.
It shows the list of components and when selecting one from the list, it higlights on pcb picture all locations where that component is used.
The advantage of paper over a mouse is that it’s hands free. 
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Waiting ibom-audio integration. “Ok-ibom, highlight C3”…
I standard use half the text size. 0,5mm width/height and thickness 0.075mm. That yields good results.
If the PCB is going to be for yourself, you only need to see the values of resistor and IC names. You know, the information you actually need to assemble the PCB. I still add the reference ID’s myself but I start to believe I nor customers don’t really need them. When soldering a THT design I only want to see resistor values, chip types, transistor types, green led, red led etc.
I use 0.8/0.8mm width/height.
The KiCad defaults belong to older times of large components and crude silkscreen printing.
When I start a board project, I include design rules from a template project. Saves me some clicking work. But it does kinda suck that every default footprint comes with these sizes. I would love for kicad to have an automated function which automatically puts references and values of newly added footprints to to your own settings. Every time when I use or change a default component I have to go through this menu by hand.
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I would love for kicad to have an automated function which automatically puts references and values of newly added footprints to to your own settings
I personally don’t like this approach, but you might look into File–>board setup–>Text&graphics–>Formatting and play with the checkboxes for “Adding footprints to board”.
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This is new in Kicad 8? Hot! my prayers must have been heared.
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