HELP SUPPORT MY WORK: If you're feeling flush then please stop by Patreon Or you can make a one off donation via ko-fi
If you’re following along with the ESP32 Rainbow project, then you’ll have seen that we’ve added some pretty nice silk screen to the back of the board.
Now, you can obviously use the tools built into the PCB tool in KiCad to design your silk screen, but it’s pretty limited - it’s not a graphic design tool. But it is surprisingly easy to import graphics into KiCad. This opens up a whole world of custom silk screen designs.
You can see my process in this video:
It is pretty simple to do. There are some things that it’s worth being aware of.
KiCad will let you import images using the Image Converter tool.
There’s a couple of things to bear in mind. KiCad will work out what “size” the image is based on the DPI (Dots Per Inch) that is embedded in the image file.
So, imagine you have an image that is 300x150 pixels in size and is 300dpi. The physical size of that image will be 1inch x 0.5inch.
Fortunately, you can override all of this in the Image Converter tool, but it’s quite helpful if you’re creating an image from scratch to just set it up how you want it.
The other thing to bear in mind is that Silk Screen can only be black or white in KiCad - there’s no color and there are no shades of grey.
This can lead to some interesting effects if your graphics tool outputs anti-aliased output.
This can have some interesting effects when you come to threshold the image into black and white pixels. Here we’ve got the slider quite far to the left, our lines and text are quite thin.
But if we move the slider over to the right, everything gets thicker:
I prefer to get an exact WYSIWIG experience. So I’ve turned off anti-aliasing in my graphics tool. This removes any of the grey pixels and means that we’ll get exactly the same results in the Image Converter tool no matter where the slider is.
With our image imported, we just need to get the results out from the Image Converter. I prefer to just use the “Export to Clipboard” button.
Once you’ve clicked this, you can simply open up the PCB and paste your design in. You can then position it and flip it to the back if needed.
The only thing that you will need to remember to do is remove the “G***” reference text.
You can do this by double clicking on the text and then unselecting the “visible” checkbox.
And that’s it! I find the best way to preview the results is the 3D viewer. And it looks great!
Related Posts
Easy kicad symbol footprint and 3d - After many months of using EasyEDA for PCB design due to its tight integration with LCSC's parts catalog, I switched to KiCad for one critical feature: 3D model exports for designing enclosures. Despite KiCad's vast library, sourcing symbols, footprints, and 3D models for less common parts was no picnic. Luckily, the 'easyeda2kicad' Python package became a game-changer, converting EasyEDA models from LCSC into KiCad-compatible formats. It's a neat workaround, though one must stay vigilant to verify footprints against component datasheets to avoid manufacturing mishaps. Blend freeware magic with a dash of tinkering in CAD software, and voilà - your custom PCB design is practically popping out of the screen!
KiCad PCBNew Python Scripting Cheat Sheet - Recently, I've been dipping my toes into the world of KiCad action plugins, specifically one for generating coils. In this post, I've jotted down some key learnings that would serve as a guide for myself in the future and for anyone else interested in building KiCad action plugins. Here, you'll find insights on getting the current board, adding objects, specifying the start and end points for tracks, creating vias, adding silk screen text, flipping text to the other side, connecting things to your PCB, and more. You'll find code snippets for these and links to additional resources. As my understanding deepens, I'll keep updating this post with new findings and corrections of any errors.
Scripting KiCad to make coils - I've been diving deep into the world of PCB (Printed Circuit Board) coils, inspired by Carl Bugeja's incredible PCB motors! After deciding to set up an automated process for creating the coils rather than manually drawing them (can you imagine?), I found our main constraints became track width and spacing, and the number of layers we could use. During the process of creating spirals for our coils, I encountered some interesting problems - spirals are easy, but what about arbitrarily shaped coils? My attempts ultimately lead me to develop more efficient algorithms and KiCad plugins to generate these special coils. A rewarding challenge of math, programming, and electronics! My code has been published on GitHub, and I’m eager to see how others might make use of it!
Related Videos
Easy - KiCad Symbol, Footprint and 3D Model! - In this video, I walk you through the transition from EasyEDA to KiCad for your PCB designs. While we lose the tight integration with LCSC parts, we gain the ability to export 3D models in KiCad. I discuss the challenges of finding certain components and how a handy script can help pull LCSC components into KiCad. We also explore how to position and adjust components correctly. Needing enclosures for your design? We discuss how to export these 3D models for review and even import them into Fusion360. To top it off, I mention the value in using PCBWay for your PCB needs, including 3D printing and CNC work. It's a whirlwind of information, aimed to help you navigate and enhance your PCB design workflow.
KiCad Tutorial - Custom Symbol, Footprint and 3D Model - Learn how to create custom footprints, symbols, and 3D models in KiCad 6 with this step-by-step guide. Design your own LED filament for a PCB project and watch it come to life in a 3D preview!
Mastering KiCad: Design & Build Your Custom Stereo Amplifier Board! - Learn how to create a version 2 of an I2S stereo amplifier board using KiCad in this engaging tutorial. Find out how to set up design rules, import symbols and footprints, generate the PCB layout, and add wiring and custom board outlines.
Create Powerful PCB Coils with Automation - KiCad Plugin Secrets! - Delve into the fascinating process of creating custom PCB coils, drawing inspiration from Carl Bugeja's PCB Motors. Learn how to generate spirals, tackle challenges in creating arbitrary coil shapes, and develop a KiCad plugin to automate the entire process.
Taking Silk Screen to the Next Level! - Take a peek at how my ESP 32 ZX Spectrum project is coming along! We're funded on Crowd Supply, ordering components, and adding a cool silk screen design to our PCB. Using tools like KiCad and Affinity Designer, I've jazzed up the back of the board with detailed graphics. It's been an exciting journey, making adjustments and ensuring everything works perfectly before ramping up production. If you haven't yet, head over to Crowd Supply and support the ESP 32 Rainbow project!
HELP SUPPORT MY WORK: If you're feeling flush then please stop by Patreon Or you can make a one off donation via ko-fi