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Printing gerber files...

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smanches

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Anyone have suggestions on how to print gerber files? I'm looking for a simple free solution to do it.

I'm using Proteus on my Mac through VMWare, but have no connection to a printer that way. It lets me output to bitmap, but I have no way to print it at it's actual size.

I was thinking trying to print the gerber files on a different PC would be the best, most accurate, way to go. Any suggestions?
 
I use Viewmate to verify gerber/drills. I've never tried to print from it, though, so I can't confirm that the printing works.
 
If you have a printshop nearby making advertising catalogues and brochures in small to medium numbers talk to the people there.

If you are lucky there will be an electronics enthusiast amongst them willing to do the job for a sixpack.

Take along your Eagle software to install it on their system temporarily and have them print super sharp and super black transparencies ready for use with photoresist.

Even using a different computer you won't get the desired result since gerber files require a gerber photoplotter.

Printing (Laser) directly on a transparency the toner won't be dense enough and allow UV light to penetrate through traces and pads. The result will most likely be an unusable PCB, mainly for traces thinner than 0.4mm (0.015")

If you do that use a positive film to be exposed with UV-light and develop like a normal film. Develop the film and fix it. That copy will be almost deep black and usable for board exposure.

Boncuk
 
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