Hi, Iam new with KiCad (and never before used anything else to design my own PCB) and Iam looking for a way to make a really simple PCB design for 5050 SMD LEDs (not RGB, just ordinary white, yellow and blue ones) and if anyone could point me how to do it, I will be very thankful. My issues are:
there is only 5050 RGB in KiCAD library and it has different layout of pins. I found some “150505M173300” which seems to has correct footprint (K and A for the three contacts that are on each side of the LED) so hopefully I guess I could use this one? Wonder why there is no 5050 footprint (other than RGB)
I would like to make a hole for the whole 5050 SMD because the way I used it (I used to make them by hand) is in a very narrow space where I can get the board itself, but the protruding SMD on the surface would no longer fit and thats why I always had them in the hole right in the board. Can I design a hole for the whole component???
the shape of the board is very specific. I tried to do it with the lines in edge cuts but when I make a screenshot and compare it to the shape which I have in Adobe Illustrator the shape is not the same. Is there a way to import the shape of the board as some graphic file or do I really have to try and error to do the shape corectly without even the possibility to have some background picture as refrence ??
The Footprint editor in KiCad has a nice search function, but only three footprints appear with the “5050” sub string, so it’s unlikely a usable footprint would be in KiCad’s default libraries.
When you want to mount the LED inside the PCB you are pretty far off from what is done for regular PCB’s, so it would be highly unlikely an usable footprint would be available anyway.
Are you aware of the regular production process of PCB’s? There are a bunch of video’s on youtube. EuroCircuits has made a bunch of quite good video’s about their production process.
If you want to mount the LED’s inside the PCB, you probably want to use “side plating” inside the hole. This is a not very standard process, and usually costs extra, and it needs communication with your PCB manufacturer as it’s not specified in the gerber files themself. I’m not sure how to draw it in KiCad either. My best guess is to use “oval” pads with oval holes, and then draw an extra shape on Edge.Cuts for the bulk of the LED.
KiCad’s drawing functions are adequate for simple PCB outlines. When PCB outlines become more complex though, you are better off with drawing them in an external CAD application and importing them in KiCad as a .DXF file. Import is in: Pcbnew / File / Import / Import Graphics. DXF files have no built in units, so make sure you import with the same units as you used to generate the the file.
I have done something very similar with what you want to do using RGB 5050 leds. I had some clear Cherry MX keyboard switches that I wanted to illuminate and already had stock of the leds. So I made a footprint that had a hole in the middle the same size as the led with pads on the bottom layer. Then the leds were a push fit into the holes and i just soldered the led legs to the pcb pads.
If I remember correctly you cant put edge cuts on a footprint so I drew the hole on a user layer and then edited the file after to change them.
Thanks so much yes thats how I did the boards before i just put them in the holes and solder them to the back layer contacts. I already find out how to import the PCB shape from DXF files so that saved my life haha I maked the holes in the drawing and import it as edge cuts. But it seems you have a bit bigger cut I did it 5x5 as the LED should be… its probably wrong and I need to make it a little but bigger? Whats your size of the hole ???
When making such a cutout in the PCB, the corners will never be square. Those cutouts are made with a router, which has the form of a cilinder and plunges into the hole and then follows it contour. This will leave the radius of the router bit in the corners and you have to make your hole big enough to allow for that.
I maked the holes in the drawing and import it as edge cuts. But it seems you have a bit bigger cut I did it 5x5 as the LED should be… its probably wrong and I need to make it a little but bigger? Whats your size of the hole ??? 
