Adding Custom Graphics to EAGLE PCB Layouts

Adding Custom Graphics to EAGLE PCB Layouts
The objective of this instructable is to show you how to add custom graphics to a PCB using EAGLE Layout Editor. You might want to add a logo or your website address to an electronics PCB that you have created. I found out that the process of adding images to a PCB was not trivial or obvious. In order to save everyone some time, I have listed out the process.

This is Hans Scharler, I am a web designer at ioBridge. I wanted to touch up a few PCBs that we were prototyping for fun. As with most people just starting out with using EAGLE PCB, I learned by following the "Beginning Embedded Electronics" tutorials over at SparkFun. One of the example projects shows you how to make an FT232RL USB-to-Serial Breakout PCB. I followed the tutorials and eventually learned my way around EAGLE to layout PCBs.

For this instructable you will need an installed copy of EAGLE and a PCB Layout that you want to add some graphics to. I am using SparkFun's FT232RL USB-to-Serial Breakout PCB (EAGLE Files) for example purposes.
 
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Step 1Create Graphics for your PCB Layout

Create Graphics for your PCB Layout
The hard part might be creating the graphics that you want to use on your PCB silkscreen. The bulk of my time trying to figure this out was trying to find the right combination of sizes and colors of the bitmap for my graphics. I searched around forums and websites trying to find some right answers. Hopefully it will be easier for you.

Most PCBs are small. The graphics will look much bigger on your computer screen than they will look on your PCB. Most PCB silkscreen is white. On your computer screen you want the artwork color to be black.

Create a large size bitmap (BMP) with a size of 2000x2000 at least. 

Add your artwork by either pasting it in or creating it new on the canvas. Make sure the color mode is set to grayscale or monotone. If you have some existing artwork, just overlay the artwork with black. That's what I did with our logo. In EAGLE we will be only importing one color.

To gauge the appropriate size, use 175 pt font on the artwork. When this gets added to the actual silkscreen the size will be around a 1/4" high. You can experiment with the size depending on how much room your logo or artwork needs to take up vs. the size allotment on your PCB. From my experience, every 175 pt high font is about 1/4" on the printed circuit board.

Remember if it looks big on your computer screen, then you are probably doing things right so far. On my attached screenshot, I am zoomed out to 33% and it still looks big.

Save the final design as a bitmap (BMP) at 8-bits at the most.
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21 comments
Oct 17, 2010. 10:41 AMgentry says:
No matter how small I make my image, I keep getting the message:
  /Users/gentry/koko5.bmp: Too many pixels y direction
  Anzahl der Pixel in Y zu gross

My bitmap is only 160 x 120 at this point.  (I first tried with a 2000 x 2000 image).

Any idea what's going on?

Thanks!

May 23, 2011. 6:14 PMmwilhelm says:
hi, did you find a solution to this?
i have the same problem!!
Jan 24, 2012. 10:12 PMcenterblack says:
After saving a BMP file using Pixelmator on OS X, I also had this issue. I finally solved it by downloading another application 'ToyViewer' and simply re-saving the bitmap file.
Jan 26, 2012. 4:35 AMgentry says:
Excellent, that (ToyViewer) worked for me too. I had also tried 8-bit BMP, but that didn't seem to help.
Apr 9, 2011. 10:37 AMduncan_a says:
It worked, I have a nice graphic imported and it's down in the bottom left hand corner of the PCB...

Unfortunately it is on the top of other items on layer 21, across a mounting hole and will be beneath components when the board is populated.

It absolutely refuses to be moved (or deleted)...

I'm fairly sure I followed the instructions 'to the letter' but I am new to Eagle. As I spent almost three days routing this board, I'm hoping somebody knows a simple solution to the problem.

Thanks
Nov 8, 2010. 6:51 AMirelandmc says:
I have been trying to find some information on how to do this for weeks! Thank you for the great instructable! Worked like a charm!
Oct 3, 2010. 9:54 AMrmdorsey says:
Marvelous job IOBridge. I got it working the first time through!
Aug 9, 2010. 4:47 PMCODIY says:
Thank you for putting this instructable up. I messed with several different ways of getting logos onto boards, and usually ended up drawing them (for QR codes, anyway) in Eagle. This is much, much simpler!
Jul 19, 2010. 12:29 AMprofpat says:
thanks, will try out this one on my newer board designs....
Jul 16, 2010. 7:43 PMitburnswhenithink says:
Nice tutorial. I would recommend creating a new package for the logo. That way you can add it to your PCB layout without having to repeat this process every time.
Jul 11, 2010. 9:45 AMDemonSpawn says:
this may seen like a stupid question to you pros out there, but how do you set the outline of the board??
Jul 11, 2010. 1:28 PMansc says:
You draw a wire of width "0" to the layer 20 (dimension) for your desired board outline. Or you move the existing outline-wires to your desired outline.
Jul 14, 2010. 9:07 AMDemonSpawn says:
Ahhhh thnx man
Jul 13, 2010. 12:19 PMamando96 says:
I usually just edit the pdf, but i rarely add logos
Jul 13, 2010. 3:28 PMamando96 says:
Yes, very easy to make, and unlike what it's been said, it's NOT more expensive that getting them made by batch PCB, olimex, etc. I'm setting up a tutorial soon, very detailed.
Jul 13, 2010. 7:00 AMrhoaste says:
The import of graphics is clumsy and unfriendly (by design) in my opinion. It's a pity Cadsoft haven't got a more flexible way to manipulate fonts and graphics. It's the one thing I think would be a considerable improvement for Eagle.
Jul 12, 2010. 7:36 AMjeff-o says:
Thanks for this. I figured there was an easy way to add graphics, but I didn't realize it was this easy!
Jul 11, 2010. 8:07 AME_MAN says:
Cool!! I will try to add graphics to my PCB designs today. Thanks :D

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