Customer wants a picture with part references. I can get a good view with PCB editor. Good. A screen capture below
When I print (File/Print) with same settings, I get values too. Not good.
Screen capture below.
When I print (File/Print) with same settings, I get values too. Not good.
Screen capture below.
It looks like you are also printing the fab layer.
True. But if I leave it out I get only the outline of the board
Edit: Broken Space-key
Maybe it’s easier to use the Plot menu (which is the same as the File / Fabrication Outputs / Gerber. You can also plot to SVG files or PDF files or a bunch of other formats, and it plots the layers separately.
I didn’t see Print/Plot all layers separately in Plot. Print had that option, and it gave one empty pdf(with only board outline), and the same messy image as in my first post.
I’ll try to enable all layers next
I think I one of my test settings worked. NowI just have find which.
The Print function prints selectively if you use the “Print according to objects tab…” option.
I’ll try that, when I am running W10 again.
You can also do more elaborate things relatively easy such as:
- Export all footprints to new library. (Make it project specific)
- Also let this function update the footprint links on the PCB.
- Push these changes back to the schematic with: PCB Editor / Tools / Update Schematic from PCB
After this change, you can modify your footprints, place extra texts on special layers etc, and use the “Update footprints from Library” function to put these modifications back on the PCB.
One more note. First image of my first post is a good idea. It is not good for PC board, but good for PDF or paper prints. For servicing or something such.
It could be easier to make
@LM21 Instead of adding “solved” to the title (remove that), click on the Solution checkbox under the post that gives the best answer to your original question. This forum software has some extra features to help others find answers quicker this way.
A problem. There was no clear one-post solution. We all made it happen, that is, there were several post which helped me to find the solution.
The “solution” system isn’t watertight. Just let it be if you don’t want to spend more time with this. Or you can write a summary post telling which things together are the solution, and mark that post.
But, this isn’t really solved. A workaround, art best.
Anytime silk is included there is double text. I add a lot of extra text to the silk layers to make it easier to assemble with less errors. We have a lot of wire tabs for example, each will get text indicating the wire color and where it goes to. Some will also get text indicating where that wire attaches. I add these to each footprint in the edit box so they are associated with the footprint and move with them.
It’s crucial that this text prints or plots for diagrams. Once.
I agree.There should be two kinds of prints/plots.
One, a normal silk screen, beside the component, or where ever you put it. This goes to the PCB.
And another, component reference text neatly inside the borders of the component. This is not very usefull on an assembled PCB. But maybe during servicing and such. Any way, that is what an assembly house asked from us.
KiCad layers are simple and straight forward.
Everything on the silkscreen layers (front and back) will get printed on the silkscreen (a.k.a legend) on the PCB.
For other uses, use other layers. Do not use the silkscreen layer for things you do not want on silkscreen.
I guess that the picture that you actually want is the fab layer. The fab layers are meant for fabrication notes.
First putting texts multiple times (on different layers?) on your PCB, and then writing:
… Thinking a bit more about this…
Maybe you want an ability to define texts that are visible on more then one layer. So one text variable, but multiple layers, similar to how a single copper zones can be defined on multiple layers. It sounds like a reasonable feature request, but I have some doubts about it’s actual usefulness.
THT resistors have their reference text visible on both the silkscreen and fab layer (and on different locations), but they do not have their value visible by default. For SMT resistors They also have their reference visible on both the silkscreen and fab layers (But different positions and different text sizes!) and they also have their value visible on the fab layer by default.
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I ONLY want my text, reference and value on the silk layer. It appears that print and plot force the Ffab layer to be rendered. Maybe we need a setting to exclude Ffab.
I’m not in front of KICAD right now to test, so forgive me if my details are wrong. I’ll make some time to revisit this soon.
I do not use Print myself, don’t know much about details, but with Plot, each layer is handled separately, unless you add a check mark in the Print on all layers column. That column does as it’s title implies.