Thread: pcb designing

hi everyone i am new to pcb and am using expressPCB. I saw that it doesn't have a mirroring option for printing and unfortunately neither does my printer. So can i use a transparent sheet to print the design and then use the opposite side of the paper to transfer onto the board? or do i have to use the side that has the toner on it? thanks in advance

What kind of file does it output?

A pcb design image. It's a .Pcb file if that's what u were asking

oh...ok....I was just thinking if you could load it in a image editor, you could do the mirror.

I'll try it thanks

if you are doing the laser printer and iron transfer type pcb making then you need the print to be "right reading" because it will be transfered "wrong reading" when you iron it onto the copper. of course this "wrong reading" is the correct way.

if you are doing a transparent mask type pcb then the same applies. the toner is in contact with the copper. if it isn't then you'll get light bleeding at the edges of the tracks due to the thickness of the transparency.

i'm not much of a pcb maker but i am a printer, of the old school, so know about transparencies and contact prints, right reading etc.

"right reading" is looking at the traces from the component side of the board.