For silkscreen text on JLCPCB manufactured boards, the minimum required height is 1 mm.
JLCPCB Silkscreen Text Specifications
When designing printed circuit boards (PCBs) for manufacturing, especially with services like JLCPCB, adhering to specific guidelines for silkscreen elements is crucial. These specifications ensure that text and graphics are clear, legible, and successfully printed on the final board. Meeting these requirements helps prevent manufacturing issues and ensures the functionality and aesthetics of your PCB.
Minimum Dimensions for Clear Silkscreen Text
To ensure the silkscreen is clear and visible on the board, JLCPCB outlines minimum dimensions for text elements:
- Height: The height of the text must be no less than 1 mm.
- Width: The width of the text (referring to filled lines that form the characters) needs to be no less than 0.15 mm.
- Spacing Between Letters: The space between individual letters must also be no less than 0.15 mm.
These minimums are vital for the manufacturing process to correctly print the silkscreen without blurring or missing details.
Preferred Aspect Ratio for Optimal Readability
Beyond the minimum dimensions, JLCPCB also provides a preferred aspect ratio to optimize the appearance and readability of your silkscreen text:
- Preferred Ratio: The ideal ratio of text width to height is 1:6. This means for every 1 unit of width, the text should have 6 units of height. For example, a 1 mm high text would ideally have a width of approximately 0.167 mm (1 mm / 6).
Summary of Silkscreen Text Requirements
Here's a quick overview of the key specifications for silkscreen text at JLCPCB:
| Specification | Minimum Requirement | Preferred Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Text Height | 1 mm | |
| Text Width | 0.15 mm | 1:6 (Width:Height) |
| Spacing Between Letters | 0.15 mm |
Practical Considerations for PCB Design
- Readability: Adhering to these specifications is primarily for ensuring the text is easily readable on the finished PCB, whether it's component designators, polarity markings, or instructional labels.
- Manufacturing Success: Ignoring these guidelines can lead to silkscreen features being too thin, too small, or bleeding together, resulting in unclear markings or manufacturing defects. This could potentially cause delays or require design revisions.
- Design Tool Settings: When designing your PCB layout, verify that your text font and size settings comply with these minimums. Most PCB design software allows you to set the trace width for silkscreen elements, which corresponds to the text width in this context.
By following these text height, width, and spacing guidelines, you can ensure your silkscreen elements are clear, professional, and reliably produced by JLCPCB.
