Due editorial (Press) reasons, I would like to have the PCB exported as PNG or TIFF.
is it possible ? Or I have just to continue to WIN+SHIFT+S copy and paste it into a graphic app, as I do now?
Your knowledge of Win shortcuts is better than mine. I would have used Alt+PrtScr or snipping tool. I do not know of any way to directly export to .png. One advantage of what you are doing is that it should give you WYSWYG. (What you see is what you get.)
If I wanted high resolution .png I would probably plot to .pdf and then use GIMP to convert to .png.
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yep but I need to write articles and to page them showing the PCB etc. Itâs for editorial (press) reasons
Plot to pdf gives you a separate pdf-file for each selected layer in black-and-white, which are useful if you for example make your own PCB (print on transparent paper, expose with UV-light, develop, etch etc.).
The 3D-viewer has a built in option to export to png.
But I guess what is asked for here is to make a printable figure of the layout view in the PCB editor in colour?
Plot to pdf doesnât do that, but print to pdf could perhaps, with the right settings/options, and then convert the pdf to png?
File>Export>SVG
That has CheckBox to select for Individual/All (Selected) layers
âAllâ, makes it easy to get the Tracks/Pads/Holes (âŚselected layers) in one printable file. Then, Export it as PNG from Inkscape/other
Plet PDF canât be imported in Word where I edit the articles
Yes I tried it but I sa strange things is occurring like doubling the writes on the silk layer. Then I stopped and I came here to ask for an alternative for PNG or TIFF
I donât get any doubling up (but, Iâm using 5.1.12 version).
Left is export Top/Btm Right is Top
Of course, âifâ you put silks/courtyard on both Btm and Top layers, then you get bothâŚ
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Part of what is going on may be anti-aliasing. (My name is not an alias but I find I do not like anti-aliasing.) If I understand correctly:
- Assume that the original image can be one bit B/W for example.
- If the boundary or edge cuts through a pixel, then anti-aliasing is likely to set that pixel to grayscale according to the amount of the pixel which has the solid color. It might also play games with the RGB sub-pixels.
- The result is introduction of other colors when you thought you had only one bit B/W. I prefer to go with higher resolution and keep anti-aliasing turned off.
- If I do not understand correctly, then âthe moon is made out of green cheeseâ. (old saying and I have no idea where it comes from. The saying predates Apollo missions to the moon.)
- I am sure that there are others on this forum who know more than I do on this subject, and I welcome any appropriate or inappropriate comments.
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Right I tried to open it with another program; It was my app making strange things.
The export, even in Color, is excellent. Then I open it in app like Inkscape and itâs done.
Thank you to all 
FYI - Iâm a big fan of Libre Office (itâs free, powerful andâŚ)
It opens the SVG⌠example below⌠Thus, you can do Text, DrawâŚetc
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Indeed Microsoft Office doesnât get SVGs
For me I have installed screen records in my laptop which I use to get PNG images and videos. It works the best for me. Maybe you should try it too.
Thanks
You can also try InteractiveHtmlBom plugin (installable from kicadâs plugin manager). After you generate the bom it can export the board image as png.
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I have InteractiveHtmlBom. I didnât know it generates the PNG since there is not any PNG when it saves it. Just a portable HTML
As I said, then I use WIN+SHIFT+S I select the graphical area, automatically itâs copied and I paste it int any graphical app (even MS-PAINT), then save it.
I hoped just to get some quicker way from inside the KiCAD
Itâs in one of the menus when you open the html
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i have not come any quicker way in kicad. let me do some more research then i will get back to you.
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