We are a pcb manufacturer and have had a customer send us a design produced in the Inkscape software. We are wondering if there is a way we can convert that data into the 'gerber' format? I've downloaded and looked at the software but could only find a .dxf 'Save As..' (which, incidentally, we saved the design file as that format and then viewed in a dxf viewer (SolidWorks EDrawing, for example) unfortunatly it didn't reproduce the image correctly from the original. (Inkscape 0.47 r22583, built Nov 21 2009)

Many thanks

Is gerber format open? If it is you can create an Inkscape extension to export to it.

If not I guess you have to convert from dxf. I think work has been done to improve dxf export in 0.48, this version should be out soon.

If it still doesn't work correctly please report a bug with the file causing the problem.

I work for a PCB manufacturer as well, I work in the pre-production/CAM department. I can't imagine a PCB designer using Inkscape, GIMP, Adobe, Corel or any other type of graphic design software to design circuit boards (I take that back..I can see it happening, there's a lot of knucklehead designers any more). The file formats are just not compatible with any CAM software that's out there. I think there's some free-ware PCB design software out there, Pentalogic, comes to mind. Good luck!

something you might want to try is to use Scribus to Import the .svg file and then ">File >Export As" .pdf or .eps, not sure why 'some' cutters still struggle with .svg and .eps vector based files..

Scribus' interworking via .eps, .pdf and .svg works very good when moving files between vector editors.

You may want to post (or search) this in the Inkscape & Cutters section of this forum. Or you may want to ask in a forum for the .dxf software you are using.

vwanweb wrote:something you might want to try is to use Scribus to Import the .svg file and then ">File >Export As" .pdf or .eps

Why recommend Scribus for file formats Inkscape supports natively or with the same helper application [1] as Scribus?
Scribus is an excellent OpenSource desktop publishing application specialized in professional page layout and "press-ready" output & publishing features, but IMHO less suited for handling exchange formats of (technical) vector data between CAD and PCB software.

Inkscape's DXF (R13) export has seen recent improvements in current Inkscape trunk [2], but still does have some limitations: e.g. it doesn't export Inkscape's rectangle shapes and in 0.47/0.48 fails to apply preserved 'transforms' on groups and objects. Rectangles, transformed shapes as well as text objects need to be converted to regular paths (menu 'Path > Object to Path') before saving a copy as "Desktop Cutting Plotter (R13) (*.dxf)". DXF export in Inkscape 0.47 and 0.48 also can fail to correctly calculate transforms resulting from resizing the page in Inkscape.

Possibly the formats HPGL and PLT could be of interest as well (HPGL is exported with a python extension script, PLT export uses UniConvertor (>= 1.1.4) as helper application).

[1] Inkscape and Scribus both need GhostScript installed for EPS output import (both can export to EPS natively.)
[2] bug reports about DXF Export

PWCircuits wrote:We are wondering if there is a way we can convert that data into the 'gerber' format?

So far there has only been a feature request filed to support import of Gerber files in Inkscape, but not for export:

• Bug #171859 in Inkscape: “import engineering files: Gerber / Shapefiles”

~suv wrote:

vwanweb wrote:something you might want to try is to use Scribus to Import the .svg file and then ">File >Export As" .pdf or .eps

Why recommend Scribus for file formats Inkscape supports natively or with the same helper application [1] as Scribus?

just trying to help man!! nothing more nothing less...

i have helped more than a few people import .pdf and .eps files from scribus that started in inkscape as svg.. The scribus implementation of exporting as .pdf and .eps seems to be more robust and well maintained vs. inkscape's .eps/.pdf implementation..

I do not quite understand topic. perhaps this is what you need.

http://www.cnc-club.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=34

I'd dearly love a gerber import/export option. I get PCB artwork sent to me all the time as gerber files and usually need to alter them in some way before producing the boards. Inkscape would be ideal for this, I've never found any software that can do this for a reasonable price and because everybody uses different PCB design software I can't edit the original propriety files. Gerber is the only thing common to them all, at the moment I use gerbv because it enables me to mirror and invert gerbers but it can't edit.
I believe dxf is already implemented so gerber must be possible.

I'll beg and grovel if necessary to anyone who wants to take it on!

Anyone used this one, I'm trying it out now
designspark.com/pcb

Fritzing has a lot of part designs made in inkscape

I also would like to see an option to export gerbers top layer 'copper0' next layer 'copper1' etc
'silkscreen0' for the top 'silkscreen1' for the bottom
and a 'drill' layer for all the holes

not sure how outlineshapes are done
and break-lines

And in what dpi they need to be exported???

it might help to have an option to IMPORT gerber files into inkscape first and reverse engineer from there in the correct dpi and layer names etc.

This would actually be very interesting to have

I'm having a look at gerber files it's a bit more complicated then I expected but has several interesting aspects to it

Like the silkscreen for instance it is an 'inverted' vector graphic all white, with everything transparent that should be printed (as an actual silkscreen, hence the name)
Fritzing's export options are very helpful and an easy way to get started.
And gerber viewer gerbv is a good tool to also have around.
when you are using Ubuntu : apt-get install gerbv

complete and open specs can be found here:
https://www.ucamco.com/en/file-formats/gerber

I don't have much coding skills (a bit of arduino I can manage, but that's as far as I can get)
Would be cool to have more people looking at his

The drill file is a bit odd to me it is a .txt file where i expected a series of dots

I have not read this entire thread today. But if someone wants to make a feature request, they can do that here: https://launchpad.net/inkscape