PCBMay – Your Go-To Silkscreen PCB Manufacturer in China

PCBMAY is the Expert in Manufacturing All Kinds of Silkscreen PCBs

For an effective Silkscreen PCB, you need to secure several issues. At PCBMay, we make sure you get a great product.

• Identify your component parts & test points
• Use Liquid Photo Imaging (LPI), Direct Legend Printing or Polyester Screen method
• Application of silkscreen on solder and/or component side
• AOI and E-test 100% passed
• Can do fast-track orders (1-2 days)

The key to a great Silkscreen PCB assembly process is following quality standards. We’re sure to follow each and every precaution in PCB manufacturing and assembly. Because we have the experience and know-how, your PCB order is perfectly safe with us.

After spending an extensive amount of time in PCB research and design, we are confident dealing with large businesses. PCBMay’s Silkscreen PCBs are bought by customers in Digital Commerce, Aeronautics, Health Care field, and so much more.

Not only do we make Silkscreen PCBs in bulk, we also do small batches, Custom PCB orders, and Prototype PCBs. Our well- built facilities and well-maintained PBC fabrication plant make PCBs that are found in devices people use every day, in any part of the world.

We offer technical support and expertise for your PCB designs. Alternatively, provide us a Gerber file so we can start producing your PCB product right now. If your order will take a few weeks to make, for example, we will give you Work-in-Progress reports. Your Silkscreen PCB order is updated ASAP.

Yellow Silkscreen PCB

Communication is important between us and our customers. That is why we are available 24/7, all days of the week. You can call us to inquire or ask questions.

So, don’t wait. Contact us right away! Get your Silkscreen PCB from PCBMay now.

Silkscreen PCB: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

We always see the rapid development of electrical and electronic devices with various new features. But the main development occurs at the internal PCB board. Silkscreen PCB is one of them.

Using Silkscreen PCB makes circuits as well as devices more advanced and reliable. Also, they are safe to use for people.

Hence, PCBMay provides manufacturing services of quality Silkscreen PCB as well as offers a customization facility based on the requirements of your application.

What Is A Silkscreen PCB?

Silkscreen PCB is a type of circuit that has a layer of ink traces that work as a reference indicator for PCB components.

The ink traces can identify the logos, test points, component values, polarity, part numbers, warning symbols, etc. And they can create a connection path to communicate with each pin.

So far, this silkscreen layer is applied on the component side of the circuit.

Hence, Silkscreen circuit boards are useful to assist in specifying the necessary information of the circuit board.

Silkscreen PCB

What Are The Construction Materials Of Silkscreen PCB?

The PCB silkscreen layer requires a specially manufactured ink to place traces on the board. The PCB silkscreen material is epoxy ink. The silkscreen circuit boards are constructed by epoxy ink upon the other PCB materials like non-conductive copper, Polytetrafluoroethylene, fiberglass-reinforced epoxy resin, etc.

Silkscreen ink is non-conductive and used to mark PCB components, logos, test points, etc. Usually, the color of the ink is white. Besides, Black, Red, Yellow, Blue, etc colors are used to make Silkscreen PCB.

PCBMay offer their customers a huge range of color varieties to design as well as customized Silkscreen PCB.

Epoxy Ink

What Is The Role Of Silkscreen PCB?

Silkscreen PCB has brought a revolutionary change in the PCB industry. They have some significant roles in the improvement of electrical and electronic devices.

The vital roles of Silkscreen PCB are as follows-

• It provides quick identification and calculation of testing points, part interconnects, and other circuit points.
• It helps to evaluate circuit requirements by identifying the silkscreen components while designing or replacing any of them.
• Able to show and warn for safety purposes like grounding warning, high voltage sign, etc.
• Silkscreen PCBs also participle in manufacturer branding purposes as they are highly integrated and designed with advanced technology
• Also helps to prevent and prevent the making of illegal duplication of circuit board design.
• It can be a part of the product evaluation process.
• If you find any defective components or unwanted output, then Silkscreen PCB helps to use troubleshoot circuits

Testing Points Of Silkscreen PCB

What Is The Silkscreen PCB Manufacturing Process?

The silkScreen circuit board manufacturing is like the sub-process of solder masking. Initially, this process is divided into 32 steps, then compressed into 6 board processes according to the PCB materials, application requirements, and cost as well.

The manufacturing processes are summed up below-

Step 1 – PCB Silkscreen Design

First, you need to print the design of PCB silkscreen art on the circuit board. For this, the eagle PCB silkscreen layer software is used to print it out effectively as well as easily.

In this section, the circuity, silkscreen layers, and other elements are designed. Also, draw the silkscreen outline with a yellow rectangular shape. The measurement lines are in the color gray on the top of the layer.

Then you need to choose the menu of the Silkscreen PCB. The component placements are converted into texts and the PCB silkscreen text size depends on the various menu options.

Step 2 – Circuit Board Preparation

After designing the silkscreen board blueprint, The hardware implementation will be started.  First, choose the board type that is used in the silkscreen circuit board production process.

Then you need to clean the board. After making a tape troll, handle it for printing properly. After that, print the whole design on transparent paper and establish them on dry silk fabric.

Now is the time to mount the circuit board on the surface with clear tape and place the total setup face downwards. Use opaque cardboard to cover the upper part of the board.

Then the lower part of the circuit goes under UV light for around 15 minutes. That will help to develop the silkscreen layer artwork properly. Then wash out the emulsion section with pressurized water.

Step 3 – Silkscreen Printing

The silkscreen printing is done in this step. First, you need to place the circuit board and fix it on a printing machine. For the printing process, the PCB printing machine will move downwards, upwards, sideways.  After creating the design on Eagle, the circuit needs to go for etching.

Next, place the etched circuit board on the silkscreen fabric. At the same time ensure it aligns with the Silkscreen PCB’s artwork. Also, fix it as it won’t move somehow during the process.

After that, apply UV curable ink upon the silkscreen artwork by a squeegee. Then let it dry for 10 to 15 minutes in an oven. After drying, the texts and marking will be visible on the circuit board surface.

Silkscreen Printing

Step 4 – Handling Procedures

After printing the Silkscreen PCB, time to handle and maintain the quality of the PCB. Almost 12 steps are done for handling procedures.

Step 5 – Inspection Procedure

Now it’s time for the inspection procedure. The goal is to measure the quality of visible board panels. This process also ensures the printed information, texts, marks are readable by human eyes.

Step 6 – Silkscreen Treatment

The last step is the silkscreen treatment for the PCB board. After ensuring the quality of the circuit board, they are almost ready to use by finishing the final touch.

Mix a developer with emulsion in a 1:10 ratio in a dark room. Then apply this solution to the silk fabrics by a wide squeegee. One layer is good enough, but using 2 layers will protect the circuit board more.

Make sure the applying process must be even and no bubbles are produced. Then allow them to dry naturally or use a drier.

Watch this video to learn more about Silkscreen and solder masks –

Is There Any Difference Between Silkscreen PCB And Dupont PCB?

There are several differences between Silkscreen PCB and Dupont PCB.

• First, we look at the construction materials. The epoxy ink is used to make traces on the Silkscreen PCB. On the other hand, Dupont PCB is made of either polyimide or copper-clad laminates.
• The Silkscreen PCB’s ink is non-conductive, Dupont PCB is Halogen-free.
• The manufacturing process is quite complex for silk screen circuit boards where laminating Dupont PCB is easier than that.
• If we think about the cost, Dupont PCB requires less cost and less effort than Silkscreen PCB.

PCB Silkscreen Circuit

What Are The Components Of Silkscreen PCB?

Several components are placed on the silkscreen printed circuit boards according to the application requirements. The following components are common for the silkscreen circuit to identify by the manufacturer as well as the end-users such as-

• Manufacturer identifiers
• Testing points
• Processing types
• Components numbers
• Components orientation
• Warning signs like High Voltage
• Print company logos, name
• Version numbers like V2, V3, V4, etc.

Silkscreen PCB Component Design

How To Print Silkscreen On PCB?

The printing process of silkscreen PCB depends on the coating methods, material type, time, board spacing, required precision, etc. These factors are changed based on the application requirements.

The silkscreen circuit printing methods are 3 types. So here we are going to discuss the silk screen printing methods. Here we go-

Manual Screen Printing

The manual screen printing method is the most affordable and oldest process to print on PCB boards. Usually, epoxy ink is used in this method. You have to push the ink on the PCB laminates and let them dry to get the desired Silkscreen PCB. The line width should be greater than 7 mm with a 5 mm registration tolerance.

The main advantage of the manual screen printing method is the setup demands are easily manageable and make it a preferable option for completing any task.

This method is suitable for large circuit boards. Also need more time for the drying process. So, large text sizes appear in this process.

Manual Screen Printing PCB

Liquid Photo Imaging (LPI)

In liquid photo imaging, you need to cote the Silkscreen PCB laminate with epoxy first which has photo imaging properties. Then transfer the circuit stretch to the plate by using UV light. The line widths should be greater than 4 mm in this method.

The main advantage of the LPI method, it results in better precision than the manual method. Als requires less space and saves PCB fitness. The downside is it needs more setup time as well as more ink than other printing methods.

Direct Legend Printing (DLP)

The direct legend printing method works like a paper printer. It helps to print CAD application information on the board directly. The major difference with other silkscreen printing methods is that they use acrylic considering the drying time.

The benefit of this DLP method is it provides higher accuracy with less time. If your application requires a low text height like higher than 0.02 inches, this method will help you to achieve it. Less than 0.02 inches text height is not properly visible to human eyes.

The downsides are you can’t apply directly to silver materials. In addition, in some cases, acrylic can’t be used. Again the Direct Legend Printing method is expensive comparing the other 2 printing methods.

So far, selecting the right screen printing method will help you to get standard and quality Silkscreen PCB within less time and cost.

What Are The Advantages Of Using Silkscreen PCB?

Using Silkscreen PCB will provide a lot of benefits like –

• The construction material epoxy ink stay clear for a long time
• It’s safe to use and has no adverse effect on health
• Environment-friendly materials
• Provide the facility of re-workable.
• Manufacturing materials are widely available.
• Excellent shelf life than any other PCB laminates
• Features low electronics noise
• Can determine the testing point
• Provide warning signs when needed
• Comes in a compact and portable size
• Requires less inspection time for using several testing methods.
• Need less time to assemble the circuit board
• Have the strongest chemical and mechanical bonds
• Provide the highest thermal capacity
• No chance of losing the connection or short circuit
• Assembly by the uniformity of electrical characteristics
• Lightweight and easy to store
• Requires no additional maintenance

High-Speed Silkscreen PCB

How To Test Silkscreen PCB Performance?

To test the performance efficiency of Silkscreen PCB, usually, 4 testing methods are used. They will help to find out the bugs, defects, reduce manufacturing time and cost as well as increase safety.

4 testing methods are

In-Circuit Test

The in-circuit test is one of the most popular and common PCB silkscreen testing methods which can detect up to 98% of defects.

In this method, 3 steps are performed such as in-circuit tester, fixture and then use a software to test the overall performance.

The in-circuit tester has a matrix of several sensors and drivers to measure the performance of Silkscreen PCB.

Again, the fixture connects the tester and the circuit board. Then the software instructs every component of the circuit board.

Fixtureless In-Circuit Test

Another efficient silkscreen testing method is a fixtureless in-circuit test which is also called the flying probe test. In this testing method, the in-circuit is performed without any custom fixture. That will reduce the cost of manufacturing Silkscreen PCB.

Again, the FICT testing method uses a simple fixture to carry the circuit board pins and test them using a software-controlled programming tool.

Eventually, this fixtureless in-circuit method is usually used for testing the performances of the PCB prototype and finding out the bugs to improve them in the main implementation with less cost and time.

Silkscreen PCB Testing

Functional Circuit Test

The role of functional circuit tests is defined by their names already. This method tests the functionalities of the circuit board. Also, the test is done during the manufacturing plans of Silkscreen PCB.

In the functional circuit, the test is interfaced with the circuit by its probe points as well as edge connectors. Then test the functionalities of Silkscreen PCB to clarify the functions based on the design specifications.

Boundary Scan Testing

The role of boundary-scan testing is to look at the wireline of the Silkscreen PCB. It is used when the circuit can’t integrate and somehow doesn’t reach all the nodes of the circuit board.

Thus, boundary scan testing is a versatile method used to test the overall quality of the Silkscreen PCB.

Are There Any Disadvantages Of Silkscreen PCB?

Besides a vast amount of advantages, Silkscreen PCBs have some limitations as well like –

• Silkscreen circuit is quite complex to design
• Repairing is hard, sometimes impossible
• The manufacturing process is costly

What Are The Applications Of Silkscreen PCB?

With the development of EE industries, Silkscreen PCB is widely used in almost all kinds of modern devices.

Silkscreen PCBs are used in the automobile industry, computer devices, military accessories, safety and security, communication, airplane instruction, and so on.

Our everyday advanced electrical and electronic devices like mobile, computers, drones, AC, CCTV camera, car, robot, the rocket can use silk screen circuit boards for its huge range of benefits.

CCTV Silkscreen Circuit Board

What Is The Standard Thickness Of Silkscreen PCB?

The PCB layout silkscreen thickness is a crucial factor for PCB design and manufacturing successfully. The standard thickness is greater than 0.15 mm to 0.20 mm.

If the line width is less than this parameter, the text will not be visible and readable by human eyes. Again, too thick layers make a mess and text seems blurry to see and read.

PCBMay ensures to provide Silkscreen PCB maintaining its standard thickness.

Silkscreen PCB Thickness

What Are The Silkscreen PCB Design Guidelines?

The Silkscreen PCB design varies from simple to complex designs according to the applications and end-users requirements.

For making DIY Silkscreen PCB you need to consider a few factors. Homemade PCB silkscreen making isn’t quite easy.

You need to understand the PCB CAD tool for designing the form, color, text placement, etc. Then you have to run the silkscreen printing method. After that, you should learn about the ink laminate transferring process. That has a great impact on the outcome.

The step by step guidelines to design the Silkscreen PCBs are-

Find Out The Method Uses To Make Silkscreens

Many manufactures do not provide service for three types of silkscreen printing processes. You should find out the best manufacturer according to your requirements.

Because, the printing method will affect the primary design elements like the components pads, traces, vias, size clearance, location of silkscreen markings, etc.

In this case, PCBMay offers three types of silk screen printing processes for their customers.

Choose The Silkscreen Items During PCB Layout

To make the silkscreen layer visible and readable, markings like pin one, reference indicator, polarity, etc. must be adjacent to the related PCB boards components.

Here you are going to make your design so you should be concerned about the additional space requirements as well. That will help to avoid covering or overlapping or the circuit indicator

Eagle PCB Layout

Pick The Fonts Based On The Printing Method.

Several PCB design packages allow the creation of any type of silkscreen font style. If not, you should choose the font style based on the printing method of the silkscreen circuit board.

Never Overuse Silkscreen Markings

You can add every information of components and create imaginary scenarios. This will be helpful in the assembly, testing, use, as well as repair of the product.

Watch this video to learn more about DIY Silkscreen Printed Circuit Board –

What Is The Purpose Of Using A Silkscreen PCB?

Silkscreen PCBs have a lot of benefits, those we already discussed earlier. The main purpose of using a Silkscreen PCB can’t be described in one sentence. They are used in several applications to obtain several goals. The main purposes of using Silkscreen PCBs are –

• To outline the appropriate placement of Silkscreen PCB components
• To specify the values of resistors, inductors, and other components
• To Identify test points of the boards
• To find out and measure the Polarity of parts
• To check the orientation of the components
• To check the location of parts through reference designators
• To identify the numbers unique to each board
• To learn about the warning symbols
• To measure and get help during troubleshooting
• To reduce the probability component misplacement or by an incorrect value

Homemade Red Silkscreen PCB

How To Remove Silkscreen From PCB?

Removing only the silkscreen of the circuit board isn’t possible practically. If you want to remove using chemicals that will affect the solder mask as well. You can’t dissolve or wipe the epoxy ink easily, but some chemicals can soften them.

You can use diluted nitric Acid but you should follow some precautions as well.

The simplest way is to scratch the misprint by using a knife to remove ink from the circuit board. But there is a high chance of damaging your entire circuit.

Silkscreen PCB Cleaning

Again, some use acetone which will break down and dissolve the substances of the Silkscreen PCB. Also, this will not damage your circuit.

Lastly, you can go for Toluene to clean up the Silkscreen PCB boards. It’s a colorless liquid that forms like vapor when the circuit is exposed to air at room temperature. That will easily remove the silkscreen from PCB.

What Do You Put On A Silkscreen PCB?

Silkscreen PCB uses non-conductive epoxy ink to draw the traces on it. You can put the manufacturer name, logo as well as all details about the Manufacturer identifiers. Also, apply multi-layers or keep it single layer.

Then place the processing method type and name, including the testing point of the circuit. Again, place the components like a capacitor, resistor, LEDs, inductors, diode, etc. You can put the version number as well as warning signs for safety purposes.

PCB Capacitor

How To Choose The Best Silkscreen PCB Manufacturer In China?

The quality and shelf life of a silkscreen circuit board depends on the materials and printing methods. They are dependent on the manufacturer’s ability as well. So choosing the right manufacturer is a crucial factor to get the best result.

But the question is how you can choose the best silkscreen PCB manufacturer? Well, you need to be concerned about the following factors to find the best one!

First, you should look at the artwork aspects

• Choose the PCB silkscreen text size, color, clearance spacing, single or double-sided printing
• Make sure the manufacturer provide 3 types of Silkscreen PCB methods
• Offers professional version of Eagle PCB silkscreen layer
• Maintain all kinds of precautions and safe handling requirements
• Can fulfill all the requirements of your applications
• Provide Silkscreen PCB Test and fix the bugs
• Ensures customer satisfaction guarantee
• Offers several years of product warranty

PCBMay has been serving for 15 years in this industry and offers all of the above facilities to implement the silkscreen circuit boards.

Conclusion

Silkscreen PCB is a great invention in the PCB industry that will add value and outstanding qualities to circuit boards. The electrical devices using the Silkscreen circuit will have more shelf life as well as be safe to use. The unlimited benefits make PCB silkscreen more popular day by day.

If you are looking for an experienced and reliable silkscreen design manufactured, PCBMay is here for you ensuring the highest quality Silkscreen PCB boards with 100% customer satisfaction.