Hello Dj Delorie!!! My PCB shop uses positive solder and componentmask when the printed circuit is double sided, and uses negative when single sided. Thats because in the double sided process, they make the hot air process, and than apply the soldermask, but before the hot air the traces become more... and dont know how to say that in english, but they go bigger, so it uses the positive film to make a photografic revelation. In the single sided process, normally the hot air is not applyed.
Well, I think the better way is to have a option on the print layout. But if it is more simple, a good way is to the software generate both files, like, one called pcb.output.positive_componentsilk.grp and other pcb.output.negative_componentsilk.grp Just my two cents... With best regards Xtian Xultz Curitiba - Brazil On Fri, 18 Jul 2003 16:36:42 -0400 DJ Delorie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Ok, after a number of emails back and forth with the folks at Advanced > Circuits, I learned that the "industry standard" for solder masks is > to print them with positive polarity (i.e. dark where you want solder > to go) - you're specifying the reliefs, not the mask around them. > Apparently, some shops will accept either and just fix them as needed. > > Changing pcb's polarity is a one-character change. > > Making it a user option is a non-trivial change. > > So, my question is: has anyone submitted gerbers with positive > polarity mask layers, and had it rejected because of that? If the > only rejects were for negative polarity, I'll just change the code and > be done with it, else I'll need to add a user option in the print > popup. >
