Putting multiple PDF layouts on one page...anyone know how?

[Hiwatt25]

Does anyone know how to take PCB layouts from different PDF's and put them onto a single sheet?

There are several boards that I'd like to put on one sheet of PNP but I don't know how to collect them all in on one sheet for printing.  I've been lucky enough to find a PNP freindly Kinkos nearby and If I could do several boards at once, I wouldn't have to waste much PNP.

Thanks.

[bancika]

the only solution that comes to me right now is to take a screenshot (PrintScreen) and then arrange them in some graphic software ala Photoshop...you'll have to take care about scale

[Hiwatt25]

That's sort of what I figured but wasn't sure if there was some tricky method I didn't know about.  As for scale, at least I can print as many "test" sheets as I need until all of them are correct. 

Hey, and when I'm done I'll have 8.5"x11" of really cool layouts ready to print anytime I like. 

[markusw]

I suppose one (and unfortunately a pretty expensive) way would be to do it in Adobe Illustrator.

Markus

[RedHouse]

Adobe Acrobat does that.   

[Gilles C]

I use Draw Plus. But screen capture program as sugested also works well.

Gilles

[Nikolay]

You can do this using corel draw or illustrator.
Open a new file and insert a different pdf files.

Good luck

[John Lyons]

It's a little high tech but you can print out all your patterns, cut them out and then tape them to one sheet of paper.


John

[Mark Hammer]

It's a little high tech but you can print out all your patterns, cut them out and then tape them to one sheet of paper.

John

If you will be essentially photocopying the patterns onto a piece of PnP, this is absolutely the most cost-effective  Make duplicates of ALL patterns you wish to etch so you have a backup, trim the edges of the cut-out pattern so you have JUST enough room to cut the pattern out from the PnP, and juggle the position and orientation of the patterns on your master sheet to achieve the most space-efficient use of the PnP sheets.  You can easily fit duplicates of 5 or 6 layouts on one sheet.

Be sure to print out the original PDFs using the NO PAGE SCALING option.  I always like to keep a 14-pin chip around to lay on top of what I print, just to be sure the scaling is right.

[sfr]

I do what Basicaudio suggests, print them out, and tape them onto one sheet.  Of course, if you planned on printing your P'n'P directly from the computer, rather than a copier, this makes a hassle.

The problem with putting them altogether in the computer using Illustrator or some PDF editing program is that some PDF files (the ones from Tonepad come to mind) are protected, you can't use the "copy" command, nor open the files in a program capable of editing w/o entering a password.    This prevents others from altering the PDFs, and for example, stripping out the site info or credit to the original author.  

The ways around this include printing it out and scanning it back in, or using a screen capture, like suggested below, although this results in the loss of any benefits gained by using a PDF.  And as mentioned, you have to make sure the layouts are sized appropriately, because removing them from the PDF format also removes PDF's handy ability to always print files at the correct size unless told otherwise.

[Jay Doyle]

Photoshop opens PDF files too (They are all Adobe products), though Illustrator is definitely the way to go, if you don't have the full version of Acrobat.

I use Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat (CS2) etc all day long in my job, and I have the full versions at home, and I still cut, tape and photocopy. It actually takes less time.

[markusw]

I use Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat (CS2) etc all day long in my job, and I have the full versions at home, and I still cut, tape and photocopy. It actually takes less time.

LOL, thats true.....BUT..there is no undo button  BTW, I'd love to have the undo and redo buttons on breadborad....

Markus

[Hiwatt25]

It's a little high tech but you can print out all your patterns, cut them out and then tape them to one sheet of paper.

John

I literally hit myself on the head when I read that.  Sometimes I think I think too much.  I'm going to try that and see how it goes.

Reminds me of a story I once heard (but don't know if it's true) that NASA spent heaps of money developing a pen that would write in the zero gravity environment of space while the russians just used pencil.  Sometimes the simple solutions escape us.

[John Lyons]

Mark has reccomended the literal cut and paste several times (that I've read) I was going to quote him but I didn't, he chimed in anyway...

Personally, I scanned a piece of perf board at 100% and use it as a "scalling tool" in photoshop. I use the "blending options" and then make the perf template semi-transparent. In another "Layer" I open the PCB in question and can overlap both images. I resize the PCB trace in question until the holes for transistors or ICs are the same scale as the perf holes. A bit complicated but it does work well.
Photoshop is a labor of love and has a high learning curve. If you don't know it now and only want to do PCBs on it I wouldn' do it. But it you are goiong to use it for other things it's a way to go.

John