How to Create Your Own Bespoke, Artisanal, Hand-Drawn PCBs

PCBs have always been made through automated processes, because that is kind of the entire point. But there isn’t any reason that they have to be done that way. In fact, ALTco demonstrated in a recent video that you can create your own bespoke, artisanal, hand-drawn PCBs.

First, let’s get the obvious out of the way: this isn’t super practical. It is hard to draw precise component footprints by hand. It is also difficult to control the properties of the traces, which can be important in some cases. Finally, it takes more time — especially if you’re making more than one PCB. Those are all good reasons why hand-drawn PCBs aren’t really a thing.

But this does have one huge advantage: hand-drawn PCBs look really cool. The curvy traces have an almost organic quality that is antithetical to the normal vibe of a PCB. Also, in theory, this could be faster for very simple, one-off designs.

It works in exactly the same way as traditional PCB etching, which is how makers have created PCBs at home for decades. But instead of using a printed mask transferred onto a copper blank, you draw the mask directly on to the blank using a marker.

ALTco experimented with a few different techniques and supplies. Ultimately, he got the best results with ferric chloride etchant and Pentel N850 permanent markers (with bullet tips).

That worked really well, etching away the majority of the copper on the blank and leaving just the traces behind. And those traces are surprisingly clean. But just to be safe, ALTco also tinned them with solder. The PCB then went into a little solder fume filter fan.

So, if you’ve ever wanted to give your PCBs a little extra handmade flair, this seems like a great way to achieve solid results.