PCB Case Study

PCB Silkscreen Issues: Put Orders on Hold Even After DRC Passes

This video examines four real-world PCB production holds caused by silkscreen issues that passed electrical DRC but failed manufacturing checks. It explains why silkscreen is more than on-screen geometry, as physical printing is affected by registration tolerance, print resolution, surface topography, and solderability requirements. The cases cover silkscreen overlapping exposed pads, text below minimum printability limits, conflicting or unclear markings across Gerber layers, and markings interacting with dense copper or BGA areas. These examples demonstrate why early DFM review of silkscreen clearance, text size, layer definition, and surface interaction is essential for reliable PCB assembly and production release.