Full Screen Print Preview
Review the final printed result before sending the job to the printer. Full screen preview makes it easier to inspect details, page layout, margins and scale.
Print Gerber and ODB++Design PCB Manufacturing Files
GerbView gives you flexible print tools for Gerber, Excellon and ODB++ PCB manufacturing files, including print preview, custom headers and footers, user defined watermarks, poster printing, color or monochrome output, scaling and layer-by-layer printing.
Printing remains an important part of PCB review, manufacturing documentation and quality control. With GerbView you can print complete Gerber layer sets, Excellon drill information and ODB++ projects directly from the same application and with the same print options.
GerbView Print Features
GerbView includes print options for both quick review prints and controlled documentation output. The same workflow can be used for Gerber files, Excellon drill files and ODB++ projects.
Custom Headers and Footers
Add user defined header and footer text to printed output, including project name, file name, revision, date, page number or company information.
User Defined Watermark
Add a text watermark to printed PCB documentation. Customize the text, font, rotation and color to match your review or approval workflow.
Poster Mode
Print large PCB layouts and manufacturing drawings across multiple sheets when the drawing is too large for a single page at the required scale.
Fit to Page
Scale the loaded PCB data to fit the selected paper size. GerbView can use visible layer extents for fit to page printing.
Print to Scale
Print PCB data using a defined scale when accurate physical size is needed for inspection, mechanical checks or documentation.
Color or Monochrome Printing
Print using the current layer colors for clear visual separation, or use monochrome output when a simpler black and white print is preferred.
One Layer per Page
Create separate printed pages for each PCB layer. This is useful for documentation, production review and checking individual manufacturing layers.
Gerber and ODB++ Printing
Print Gerber files and complete ODB++ projects with the same print tools, including preview, scaling, headers, footers, watermarks and poster mode.
Print Complete PCB Layer Sets
GerbView can print the visible PCB layers as they appear in the workspace. This allows you to create useful printed views of copper layers, solder mask, silkscreen, board outlines, drill data and other manufacturing information.
Before printing, you can adjust layer visibility and colors to create a clearer printout for the task at hand. For example, you can hide layers that are not relevant, print only drill and outline data, or create a simplified view for assembly review.
Common print uses
- PCB layout review before fabrication
- Assembly reference drawings
- Quality control and inspection
- Manufacturing documentation
- Separate layer-by-layer printouts
- Customer or supplier communication
- Revision review and approval workflows
Print ODB++ Projects
GerbView provides the same printing capabilities for ODB++ projects as for Gerber files. You can print complete ODB++ designs, selected layers, drill information and manufacturing data directly from the loaded project.
Headers, footers, watermarks, poster printing, print preview, scaling, color or monochrome output and one-layer-per-page printing are all available when working with ODB++ data. This makes it easy to create review prints, production documentation and inspection drawings from ODB++ projects without requiring the original PCB CAD system.
Color, Monochrome and Layer-by-Layer Printing
GerbView can print using the colors currently assigned to each visible layer, making it easier to distinguish copper, solder mask, silkscreen, drill and outline information on the printed page.
For simpler documentation or printers where color is not needed, monochrome printing can be used instead. GerbView can also print one layer per page, giving you clean layer-by-layer output for review, archiving or manufacturing documentation.
Custom Header, Footer and Watermark
Printed PCB documentation often needs more than the drawing itself. GerbView lets you add additional information directly to the printout.
Headers and footers
User defined headers and footers can be used to identify the printed document. This is useful when printouts are shared internally, sent to customers or included in production documentation.
- Project or board name
- File name or job reference
- Revision or approval status
- Date, page number or company name
Watermark
A custom text watermark can be added to the printed page. The watermark text, font, rotation and color can be adjusted to match your workflow.
- Preliminary
- Confidential
- For review only
- Approved
- Obsolete
Tip: Use watermarks and headers together to create printed PCB documentation that is easier to identify, archive and review.
Poster Printing for Large PCB Drawings
Some PCB layouts, panels and manufacturing drawings are too large to print clearly on a single sheet at the desired scale. Poster mode solves this by dividing the drawing across multiple printed pages.
After printing, the sheets can be assembled into a larger physical drawing. This is useful when you need a larger printout but only have access to a standard office printer.
Typical Print Workflow
-
Open your PCB manufacturing files.
Load Gerber, Excellon drill data, ODB++ or other supported PCB files into GerbView. -
Adjust the layer view.
Turn layers on or off, change colors and prepare the view you want to print. -
Choose print options.
Select fit to page, scale, poster mode, color or monochrome output, one layer per page, header, footer and watermark options as needed. -
Preview before printing.
Use print preview or full screen print preview to check the final page layout. -
Print your PCB documentation.
Send the final output to your selected Windows printer.
Supported PCB File Types
GerbView is designed for viewing, printing, converting and comparing PCB manufacturing files. You can print loaded Gerber layers, Excellon drill files and complete ODB++ projects using the same print workflow and print options.
Whether your manufacturing data is delivered as Gerber files or ODB++, GerbView provides a consistent way to create printed PCB documentation without opening the original PCB CAD system.
GerbView Printing FAQ
Can GerbView print Gerber files?
Yes. GerbView can print Gerber files and other PCB manufacturing data loaded in the workspace.
Can GerbView print ODB++ projects?
Yes. GerbView supports printing of ODB++ projects, including layer data, drill information and other manufacturing information using the same print features available for Gerber files.
Can GerbView print Excellon drill data?
Yes. Excellon drill data can be loaded together with Gerber layers and included in the printed view.
Can I add a watermark to printed PCB documentation?
Yes. GerbView supports a user defined text watermark with custom text, font, rotation and color.
Can large PCB drawings be printed on multiple sheets?
Yes. Poster mode can be used to print large format drawings across multiple pages.
Can I preview the printout before printing?
Yes. GerbView includes print preview and full screen print preview so you can review the page before printing.
Can GerbView print in monochrome?
Yes. GerbView can print in color or monochrome depending on your documentation needs and printer setup.
Can GerbView print one PCB layer per page?
Yes. GerbView can print one layer per page, which is useful when you need separate printed documentation for each manufacturing layer.
Related GerbView Information
Print and Review Gerber and ODB++ PCB Files with GerbView
Use GerbView to open, inspect, print, compare and convert PCB manufacturing files before sending them to production.
