What is Silkscreen | PCBasic

PCB silkscreen, also known as legend printing or marking printing, refers to the process of printing text, symbols, or graphics on the surface of a printed circuit board. The silkscreen layer provides essential visual information to help with component assembly, debugging, inspection, and maintenance during the entire production cycle.

At PCBasic, silkscreen can be applied on both the component side (assembly side) and the soldering side (non-component side), depending on your design requirements. Our advanced printing equipment ensures high precision and durability of silkscreen markings, maintaining excellent readability even after soldering and cleaning processes.

Common Silkscreen Markings Include:

1. Component Reference Designators

2. Polarity Markings

3. Component Outlines and Dimensions

4. Pin 1 Indicators

5. Revision Numbers

6. Company Logo

7. Manufacturer Identification

8. Warning or Safety Labels

PCBasic uses high-resolution white silkscreen ink by default, with yellow or black options available for special applications such as black solder mask PCBs. All silkscreen processes comply with IPC standards, ensuring clarity, adhesion, and long-term reliability.