How to Order Your First PCB from a Manufacturer
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
You've designed a board in Protoboard Designer — now you want to hold the real thing. Ordering a PCB is easier and cheaper than most beginners expect (often a few dollars for a small batch). This guide covers what to send, which options to choose, and how to avoid the common first-order mistakes.
Finish these first:
- The board at the right size and shape (the outline is always there and exported for you)
- A clean DRC — run it from the Net Probe tool → Run DRC check and clear any warnings
- An exported, zipped Gerber file set — use the Export tool; see How to Export Gerber Files
Step 1 — Pick a manufacturer
Any of these are beginner-friendly and accept Gerber uploads:
| Fab | Good for |
|---|---|
| JLCPCB | Cheapest small batches; very fast; great for first orders |
| PCBWay | Wide options, strong support, hobby-friendly |
| OSH Park | Premium purple boards, per-square-inch pricing, US-based |
There's no wrong choice for a simple two-layer board. JLCPCB and PCBWay are the usual starting points on price.
Step 2 — Upload your Gerber zip
- Create a free account on the fab's site.
- Start a new PCB order.
- Upload the
.zipyou exported from Protoboard Designer (don't unzip it — upload the archive). - Wait for the site's online preview to render your layers.
The preview is your last chance to catch problems. Confirm you can see your traces, your silkscreen labels, and a correct board outline at the right size. If the board size or shape looks wrong, fix it in the editor and re-export before paying.
Step 3 — Choose board options
The order page asks for manufacturing options. Safe beginner defaults:
| Option | Beginner choice | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Layers | 2 | Matches a standard two-layer design |
| Dimensions | (auto from your outline) | Confirm it matches your intended size |
| Quantity | 5 | Most fabs' minimum; often the same price as 1–2 |
| Thickness | 1.6 mm | The standard, sturdy default |
| Copper weight | 1 oz | The default your trace widths assume |
| Soldermask colour | Any | Green is cheapest/fastest; others cost little more |
| Silkscreen colour | White | Standard |
| Surface finish | HASL | Cheapest; fine for hand-soldering. ENIG is flatter/nicer but pricier |
Leave anything you don't recognise at its default — the defaults are chosen for exactly this case.
Step 4 — Review, pay, and wait
- Confirm the preview and options one last time.
- Choose a shipping method (slower = much cheaper; there's no rush on a hobby board).
- Place the order. Typical turnaround is a few days to make, plus shipping.
Small (under 100 × 100 mm), two layers, green mask, HASL finish, and slow shipping is the cheapest combination — ideal while you're still learning and iterating.
Troubleshooting
The preview shows the wrong board size or shape
The board edge comes from your board shape, which is always exported — so it won't be missing, but it might be the wrong size. Fix the size in Board Settings (or reshape with the Machining tool) and re-export. Make sure the outline/board layer was included in the export. See Define Your Board Shape.
The manufacturer says my files are invalid
Usually a layer the fab didn't expect or a file-extension mismatch — not a missing outline (it's always exported for you). Re-check the export included copper, silkscreen, outline, and the drill file, and that extensions match the fab's upload help page. See How to Export Gerber Files.
My holes are missing in the preview
The drill data is a separate file (Excellon). Make sure your export produced a drill file and that it's inside the zip you uploaded.
The board is more expensive than I expected
Larger boards, more layers, ENIG finish, special colours, and fast shipping all add cost. For a first order, keep it small, two layers, green/HASL, and slow shipping.