10 PCB Design (DFM) Tips to Avoid Costly Mistakes

A great design on screen can still be expensive or impossible to build. These Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM) tips help your board sail through production.

Design and file tips

• Keep tracks and spacing within standard capability (e.g. 4/4 mil)
• Avoid unnecessarily small holes — they raise drilling cost
• Maintain adequate annular rings and clearances
• Use standard board thickness and finishes where possible
• Panelise efficiently to reduce per-board cost
• Add fiducials and tooling holes for assembly
• Provide complete Gerbers, drill file and a clear stack-up
• Include a fabrication drawing with notes and IPC class
• Specify surface finish and solder-mask colour
• Run a DFM review with your manufacturer before production

Send your design to Chetumax Sales and our CAM team will run a free DFM check before you commit to production.