Instructions for ordering

This description aims to explain common confusion that our users have encountered when placing orders and addresses frequent problems that have arisen in the past. It outlines the routine internal operations that JLCPCB undertakes upon receiving an order. To prevent unnecessary complications, please carefully read these instructions before placing your order.

                                                  Instructions for PCB orders

1. Solder-Resistance Bridges

To do solder-resistance bridges, usually, the spacing between the pads /pins needs to be 0.254 mm at least, and special notes are required when ordering such as : solder mask bridge is required. Or it will be ignored easily.

2. The English Descriptions and Other Attachments in the Zip File

The English descriptions and other statements in your zip file, such as some PDF files, DXF files, excel, etc.,  will be disregarded and the PCB will be done according to the Gerber file provided only. So please make sure that the correct parameters are chosen and all those needed are converted into your Gerber file when you place your order. If any important, please kindly add it to the remark field when you place your order.

3. PCB File and Gerber File in the Zip File at the Same Time

If there are both PCB files and Gerber files in your zip file, we will follow the Gerber file and ignore the PCB file.

4. Plated Edges/ Slots ( no longer than 6mm)

If there is any edge plating needed, or any plated slots are needed, please make sure that is not longer than 6 mm, and make a note about it when you place your order, or we can not make it for you. If there is no any note about it, then we will make it with the normal process.

5. Issues with Software Incompatibility

Since different clients will use different software to design the board, and the software we process the Gerber data is also not the same as the software used for designing, so sometimes the software incompatibility problem arises. Since there is no warning about the issue when importing the data into the software, so we have no way to notice it and thus cannot confirm with our customers. Therefore, we are responsible for half of the order problems caused by software incompatibility.

6. Markings on Base Materials

For the sake of security, there are some markings on the base material, which are based on the base material itself, and we have no way to remove them. We have no idea about which PCB will be with such kind of markings, so your PCB will also have the chance to have the markings. Please kindly check whether it is acceptable before placing your order.

7. Designs about Slots, Cutouts, Millings and V-Cut

Please kindly make sure that the V-cut lines, cutouts, millings and slots are in the same layer with the board outline. If it is not in the same layer with the board outline, it will be missed. So please kindly check it before placing your order. If it is missed due to they are not in the same layer with the board outline, we will not be responsible for it. ( If the slots are to be plated, it needs to be with the drill holes in the same layer, or it will be missed easily).

8. Gerber View

As to the preview / Gerber Viewer on the website, it is only for the purpose of reviewing the file quickly before paying for your order. However, there may be instances where the website does not display it EXACTLY as intended, so it's advisable to carefully review your file when placing your order if you have any doubts.

9. Silkscreen/ Texts

To make the silkscreen clear on the board, the width of the texts ( filled lines) and the space between letters need to be no less than 0.15 mm with a height no less than 1 mm. The preferred ratio of width to height is 1:6. If outline font is designed and the solid part is filled with lines, then the filling line needs to be no less than 0.15mm too, and the hollow part needs to be more than 0.2mm.

Usually, we will not check and modify silkscreen in the Gerber file, but the texts may be widened into 0.15mm if it is not enough. And we may not accept the complaint regarding the unclear texts caused by non-standard design. Please kindly make sure the silkscreen meets our capability before ordering.

When the silkscreen overlaps with the openings, we will follow the principle of prioritizing the openings. In another word, we will ignore the silkscreen and make the openings on the boards only. Under the circumstances, if you want to keep the silkscreen on the openings, please kindly make a note in the remark column so that we can let our engineers and factories pay attention to it and meet your needs.

Silkscreen on Aluminum PCBs:

Currently, we support white and black silkscreen colors for Aluminum boards. White silkscreen will be applied to green and black solder mask ink while black silkscreen for white solder mask ink.

Please kindly note, silkscreen is not recommended on bare Aluminum surface due to its low level of adhesion and hence will easily fall off from the surface.

Also, the white silkscreen could not be clearly shown on the greyish white bare Aluminum surface. Please specify your request in the remark column if silkscreen on bare Aluminum surface is indeed wanted.

10. 4 Layer PCB

Basically, we don't make 3 layer PCB, if your order is a 4 layer and there is one inner layer only, we will process it with the 4 layer process directly and will confirm with you again. So please check whether there is any inner layer miss or not when you place your order.

11. About Repeat Order

Usually, the repeat order is directly produced according to the production file for your previous order, and we will not make any change to the production file anymore. So make sure you don't leave any note related to order changing when you place your order. The repeat order will no longer be manually checked by our engineers.

Note: Engineering fee will still charge by the system since our engineers need to re-panelise the boards manually.

12. About the Items in the Board Outline

Basically, the board outline is to show what your PCB looks like when it is finished. So all those need to be cut with the board outline should be added into the layer with the board outline, such as v-cut lines, slots, milling, cutouts. So please remove those unnecessary to avoid any confusion. Please notice that when both the GKO layer and GM1 layer exist in the Gerber file, our engineers will ignore the GKO layer and produce boards according to the GM1 layer. If there are GMI, GM2 or GM2, GM3, GM4 layers in the gerber file at the same time, we will use the one with the smallest number after the letter GM as the outline layer by default. For example, if there are GM2, GM3, GM4 layers in the gerber file, we will proceed according to GM2 as the outline layer and ignore GM3 and GM4.

13. About File Generated from Easyeda

Easyeda is a free online tool that we provide to design the PCB, and you can place your order on JLCPCB easily and quickly.  But if there is manufacturer error due to the design error, we may not responsible for that.

14. About JLCPCB Panel

Generally, if you choose JLCPCB to panel the PCB for you when you place your order, basically, we will panel your order with V-cut, but we panel those PCB with rectangle and round shape only. If you have panelized the boards yourself but chosen "Single PCB" when ordering, the numbers of designs in the Gerber file should be no more than 5, otherwise, we may cancel this order. If "Panel by Customer" has been chosen, the number of designs in the panelized Gerber file should be no more than 10.

15. About the Remark Field

There is a remark field when you place your order so that you can leave a note in case any important information, but it is not recommended to use this option since all the order with an English note will take a longer time to get it through the audition process.

16. Boards that Larger than 200mm*250mm

About the board which larger than 200mm*250mm, since the board is so large, and we will try our best to make that. But if the good board is not enough for the quantity that you order in the website, due to huge cost of production, we will send the good boards and refund the difference to you.

17. Design Considerations for the Thickness of Board Outline, Slots, Cutouts, and Milling

Usually, we suggest our clients design a thickness of 0.15mm for the board outline, slots, cutouts, and milling. However, if the thickness of these elements exceeds 0.15mm, we will follow the center of the line to create the board outline, cutouts, and milling.

18. Boards Within or Equals to 50mm*50mm

For small boards within or equal to a size of 50mm x 50mm, milling them perfectly during the milling process can be challenging due to their small size. To mitigate this issue, we often recommend panelizing the small boards.

19. Solder Mask Layer

The solder mask layer is normally a must layer. Please make sure you have included it in your Gerber file. If the solder mask layer is not found, or the solder mask layer is blank, the board will be made as fully covered by solder mask ink as default. So please design the solder mask layer correctly if you want solder mask opening. And if you want the full board to be covered by tin, please remember to remark it when ordering.

20. About Plated Slots

For a plated slot, the length of it should be twice larger than the width of it. The slot may have problems if it is not designed according to this. And the setting of the length and width of the slot needs to be correct as well.

Other instructions:

1. About Order Cancellation

For those order that there are some layers missed, such as no board outline and drilling, we will cancel the order directly. If there is no drill needed, etc, you had better to make a note about it when placing your order, or it will be canceled directly during the audit process.

2. Orders Beyond Our Capabilities

For orders that exceed our capabilities, we will cancel the order directly and will send an e-mail to inform you of the reasons. So please kindly check your file carefully before making payment to avoid losses resulting from the cancellation.

3. About Stencil Production File

Basically, you choose JLCPCB to panelize the PCB for you, if there is no stencil order with, we will not make the production file for the stencil since the engineers who make the production file do not know how to make the production file for the stencil.

4. Removing Order Numbers:

For orders that choose the 'Remove Order Number' service or specify a location service, we typically follow the clients' instructions when manufacturing the boards. Just in case, we also suggest clients to choose Confirm Production File service which allows for double-checking.

Generally, it will not affect the function of the boards if JLCPCB miss to remove the order number or put it by random, in this case, we will refund the remove order number fee.

                                                 Instructions for Stencil order

1. Stencil Thickness

Basically, there is no option to select the stencil thickness on the website. Our engineers will choose the appropriate thickness based on your file specification. If you have any specific thickness requirements, please kindly make a note when placing your order.

2. The English Descriptions and Other Attachments in the Zip File

The English descriptions and other statements in your zip file, such as PDF files, DXF files, Excel, etc., will be disregarded, and the stencil will be done according to the provided Gerber file only. If you have any specific requirements, please kindly include them in the remarks field when placing your order.

3. Tooling Holes

If there are tooling holes needed for your order, please kindly ensure that it is stuffed circles in the solder paste layer, or we will not make it for you.

4. Solder Beading Treatment

Solder beading, a defect that can result in short circuits, generally is related to an excessive solder paste deposit that, because of its lack of "body," is squeezed underneath a discrete component and then becomes a solder bead. The most common place to see solder beads are at the side of a chip components like resistors and capacitors.

At JLCPCB, the stencil aperture for components (except for diode) larger than or equal with 0805 will be slightly reduced from the pad size like below image to avoid the solder beads.  

Note: If you don't want to apply this solder beading treatment for your stencil, please make a remark when you place an order.  

5. About the Spacing for Different Designs in Your Stencil File

Generally, if the stencil size is large enough to accommodate different designs, we will not alter the spacing between your designs (for two or more designs within the same stencil file). However, if the stencil size is insufficient, we may adjust the spacing between those designs to ensure they fit on the stencil. If no changes can be made to the panel, please kindly make a note of it when placing your order.

SOT252, SOT223 and other high-power transistors, the aperture need to bridge in the middle, or divided into a number of small pieces, bridge width depends on the pad size, as shown in the following figure.

The main purpose is that the biggest problem in the SMT processing and welding of such large-sized heat sinks is the void problem. The voids in the PCBA solder joints are formed because the volatile components in the solder paste flux or the waste gas generated during the cleaning process cannot be completely discharged and are wrapped in the solder joints. Due to the extremely small gap between the bottom of the component and the PCB pad, these gases are not easy to discharge. The presence of voids will seriously reduce the heat dissipation effect and affect the reliability of the product.

6. About the Stencil Orientation

Generally, if there is no specific note regarding the placement or direction of the cutout on the stencil, the long side of the PCB will automatically align with the long side of the stencil.

7. About the Apertures for Thru-Hole Components in Stencil

The apertures for thru-hole components will not be made by default in stencil. A special note is required when ordering if you need to make it.

Other instruction

1. Complaints about Reorder Orders

Please kindly check or test the order upon receipt. If any issues are found and confirmed to be due to JLCPCB's error, we will offer a refund or remake the order. If no feedback is provided and the order is placed again, any issues with the initial order and the reorder will only be covered for the first order.