How to Convert Image to PCB Free, Step by Step
Need a PCB from an image? Here is how to convert Image to PCB, what usually goes wrong, and how to get a file you can use first time.
Why convert Image to PCB?
A PCB is a printed circuit board, described for manufacture as Gerber and drill files. Copper, mask and silkscreen layers that any board house can make.
- Logo and art boards.
- Conference badges.
- Home etching.
The catch is the image itself. A picture is pixels, so it has to be traced or redrawn before a machine or a vector program can use it. That is why the conversion matters as much as the file you start with.
Where most converters let you down
Plenty of tools will happily take your image and give you something back. The trouble is what they give you: many need a desktop EDA install, or produce artwork that breaks the board house’s minimum line widths. You only find out later, when the file will not cut, print, import or open the way you expected.
What you actually want is board files you can see, check and send to a manufacturer. That is the standard this Image to PCB converter is built to.
How to convert Image to PCB in 5 steps
- Draw or prepare the artwork: dark shapes on a light background, or tick Invert.
- Drop the JPG or PNG above and set the board width in millimetres.
- Check the narrowest line the page reports; thicken lines under 0.3 mm if you will etch at home.
- Choose copper, silkscreen or solder mask and the side.
- Download the Gerber for a board house, or the etch mask PDF to print.
Why Veconvert is the better Image to PCB converter
- Read to the specification. Checked against gerbv and KiCad output.
- Real size. Everything at 1:1 in millimetres.
- No install. No EDA suite needed to view, convert or make board art.
- Nothing uploaded. An unreleased board stays on your computer.
What happens to your file
Your image is turned into clean copper or silkscreen artwork in the browser: dark areas become copper and the result is placed on a board outline.
The conversion runs in your browser, so the file is never uploaded: client work, statements and unreleased designs stay on your computer.
Getting the best PCB: mistakes to avoid
- If you have the same picture in several formats, PNG is usually the cleanest source.
- Keep lines at least 0.15 mm (6 mil) wide for most board houses; check yours.
- High-contrast, simple artwork gives the cleanest copper.
- Always open the files in the manufacturer’s own Gerber viewer before ordering.
What it costs
Yes, converting is free: the conversion and checking the result cost nothing, and the work runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded. The side-by-side preview on the converter pages comes with a free account. Saving the finished file is paid: $3.49 for one file ($3.99 for a technical file such as DXF, G-code, STL or embroidery) with no account needed, or included in a plan from $6.99 a month.
You see the result before you spend anything, so you only pay for a file you are happy with.
Frequently asked questions
Can I turn a photo of a circuit board into Gerber files?
Yes, one layer at a time: photograph each side flat, straight on, in even light, and set the board width. A flatbed scanner at 600 dpi is better still: no lens distortion. Holes have to be added as a drill file in your CAD program.
Will JLCPCB or PCBWay accept the file?
Yes. It is standard RS-274X with the layer named in X2 attributes. Add a board outline and a drill file in the same zip, or merge the layer into a board you designed in KiCad or EasyEDA.
Is it free?
Yes, converting is free: the conversion and checking the result cost nothing, and the work runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded. The side-by-side preview on the converter pages comes with a free account. Saving the finished file is paid: $3.49 for one file ($3.99 for a technical file such as DXF, G-code, STL or embroidery) with no account needed, or included in a plan from $6.99 a month.
Can I put a photo on a PCB?
Yes, as halftone dots: choose Photo shading under Picture as. Set Smallest feature to your board house's limit for that layer; dot spacing is chosen as four times that, which keeps every shade. A larger board width gives more dots and more detail.
Can I get the artwork as a KiCad footprint?
Yes: Format > KiCad footprint (.kicad_mod). Put the file in a folder ending in .pretty, add that folder in Preferences > Manage Footprint Libraries, and place it like any part. It opens in KiCad 7 and later. For the bottom, place it and press F to flip it.
Will adding a logo to my Gerbers change anything else?
No. Every other file in the zip comes back byte for byte as it was, and the layer the logo goes on keeps everything it had: the logo is added at the end of that file, in its own units and number format, drawn without any clear (erasing) shapes.
How do I convert Image to PCB?
Drop your image into the box at the top of this page and press Convert to PCB. The conversion runs in your browser in a few seconds. Check the result, then download a PCB.