PCB Artwork Orientation?

[drillbit]

Hi All

I am using Eagle PCB to create artwork for etching my own boards.

I am using positive presensitised boards (I think) eg. the kind where the UV light destabilises the resist in the non-black areas.

All works fine, but I am having a lot of trouble understanding the required orientation of the artwork and I just can't figure it out in my head.... I must have awful spatial awareness.

In Eagle, I seem to routing on what it calls the 'top layer'. I end up with a PCB which is orientated correctly forthe same 'side' of the board that the components will go - which is no good because they need to be soldered into the opposite side.

So I tried mirroring and flipping my artwork before and after printing, in various ways. But it always seems to be out of whack for things like integrated circuits where the pin orientation is critical.

So my question is - can anyone give me a step by step guide to which way up to print, and which way up to present the artwork and board to the UV?

I am thinking maybe I should print it unmirrored, and then place it on the TOP of my board, then sort of 'place it on the bottom of the pack' so it ends up on the sensitised side, then put them both down on the UV box. Does that sound right?

Thanks

 

[BobK]

If want the bottom layer, you print it as if you are looking through the board from the top. Then you place the printed side of the transparency against the board when exposing.

For the top layer (which I never do, I only make 1 layer boards) You would have to flip it first.

Bob

 

[BobK]

Had to open Eagle to refresh my memory since I do not use it normally.

To print the bottom layer, you would go to view, and under layer settings, push "none", then select bottom, pads, vias, and dimensions. That should show everything that will be copper in the right orientation.

Bob

 

[cl10Greg]

Like mentioned, flip top layers and just print normal bottom layers