could some one recommend

[Hungeryhippie]

a PCB design/layout program that is free?

[spongebob]

You can try ExpressPCB, it's free:

http://www.expresspcb.com/ExpressPCBHtm/Free_cad_software.htm

[gez]

The catch being that you can't print off a USEABLE copy of your PCB layout!  This software is intended to design boards so that THEY can run them off for you (though I believe the schematic stuff works fine).  

I downloaded this a few weeks ago, went to print off a copy and got a load of greying/crosses in the background, making it totally useless.

Just thought I'd mention it (was a bit pissed off having spent a whole day designing a layout only to find I'd wasted my time!)  :evil:

[Xlrator]

I haven't tried this, yet.

But what about doing a screen grab of the layout in ExPCB and printing it out in your own image editor?   :?:

[gez]

I haven't tried this, yet.

But what about doing a screen grab of the layout in ExPCB and printing it out in your own image editor?   :?:

Maybe I did something wrong, but I DID try this and sadly it didn't work.  I'd love to hear from anyone who has managed this though!

[Jim Jones]

Hi Gez,

You can "de-select' the grid in the colour options portion of the program and then to a screen capture.  I really like Express PCB - I'd gladly pay for a licensed version that would allow you to print "sans dots" without having to go through the screen capture process.

Jim

[The Tone God]

You could get a copy of Eagle from Cadsoft or use EasyTrax which is DOS based. There should be a link to that in the FAQ.

Andrew

[gez]

You can "de-select' the grid in the colour options portion of the program and then to a screen capture.  

I'm a thirty something computer illiterate, so it comes of no surprise that this CAN be done,  the question is how?  I've managed to get rid of the grid, but how do I do a "screen capture"?  I thought this meant selecting an area, copying it then pasting into another document, but seeing as this doesn't work it's obviously something else.

How do I do a screen capture?!

Thanks for your reply, I'll be glad if I can get this to work as it's a very intuitive program (it has to be for a moron like me to be able to use it!)  

[al3151]

You can "de-select' the grid in the colour options portion of the program and then to a screen capture.  

How do I do a screen capture?!

Alt+PrtSc then paste in Windows Bitmap.

[gez]

Alt+PrtSc then paste in Windows Bitmap.

                    !!!!!!!!!!

Thanks so much, and thanks to Xlrator & Jim for suggesting this in the first place!

[gez]

Hmmm, I've spent a bit of time trying to tidy things up in paint and it's a lot of work (well, for me).  I think I'll just save up for software instead.

[ErikMiller]

Hmmm, I've spent a bit of time trying to tidy things up in paint and it's a lot of work (well, for me).  I think I'll just save up for software instead.

Vutrax has a free version, AND they're English (used by Marshall amplification). Haven't tried it yet, but it looks reasonable, and they at least acknowledge that people lay out analog boards, and that we sometimes just want to lay out a board without first capturing a schematic.

The aforementioned EagleCAD is usable, too. Right now, I'm trying to finalize on CAD software for my commercial use and I may pay Eagle to register.