Graphics in gEDA PCB Designs

pcbI recently needed to add a logo to a printed circuit design I created with the gEDA PCB program. The steps I used to do this are as follows:

  • Create the image in Inkscape using only one colour: black.
  • Convert all objects to paths (Path / Object to Path).
  • Remove overlapping vector paths.
  • Adjust the image size. I used 64px wide by 16px high.
  • Save image as a postscript file.
  • Use pstoedit to create the footprint:
    pstoedit -psarg “-r1000x1000” -f pcbfill -ssp ‘inputfile.ps’ ‘outputfile.pcb’
  • In PCB, load layout to buffer and place on board.
  • Export the gerbers and confirm the appearance of the logo is acceptable.

More detail on this process is available on Ben Bergman’s blog.