A question regarding artwork

[revrnrick]

hey gang,

My question may be a little silly ut bear with me. Lets say I want to build this circuit. An Obsidian

http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php/v/Daves-Layouts/Obsidian+T.gif.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1

Now, When i look at this picture. We see the caps, trnsistors, resistors...etc.  Is the point of view of us looking  down on the
component side. Whereas, if this pic were 3D, the components would be facing me and the solder side would be facing down.

For instance, If I take the artwork...

http://www.aronnelson.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=17278&g2_serialNumber=1

Kep in mind, I can and have succenssfully etched a board. My other question is  when I print this picture, do I just print it out and transfer it
onto the copper board... or...do I reverse the image before hand then print it and then transfer it onto the board.

Im debugging my first build and whil Im following the debugging instructions i thought I would ask in case foolishly I built this backwards

Eric!

[theundeadelvis]

I have actually etched a board backwards before. I was able to make it work though (just had to solder carefully under the parts). Usually, when someone makes a PCB image it's ready as-is and you shouldn't have to mirror it.

[R.G.]

PCBs are always, always, always laid out as though you were looking at the component side and the insulating PCB material was transparent.

Well, OK, when there are parts on both top and bottom side, that gets a little abstract... 

It so happens that if you do the layout and print toner like it's looking through the component side, the toner transfers correctly for the parts to be on the top side, opposite the copper.

If you are worried that you may have transposed something, find a non-symmetrical and handed (chiral -  ) component like an IC, then think, and visualize. It will be apparent in a moment or two.

[MarcoMike]

when components up to 3 legs are used (achiral components ) you can still use a reverse pcb with no problem at all, well... except the fact that it will look mirrorized.

if ICs are present, it's a bit more tricky, but you should be able to obtain the diasteroisomer (mirror image) of every IC by flipping their legs and mounting it top down. (from M to W, then turn it 180°). I had to do it once I etched a board in reverse, you must be careful while bending the leads but it works.

[MarcoMike]

actually enantiomer was the correct word, instead of diasteroisomer... shame on me... (and my chemistry degree...) 

[Perrow]

actually enantiomer was the correct word, instead of diasteroisomer... shame on me... (and my chemistry degree...) 

And then there was your avatar 

[revrnrick]

Thanks alot!!

This is my first build and ...well.....its dead. It was recommended to make an audio probe and go back and probe everythign  which I will. I checked for power and I've got 9 volts up to ground, but at some of the component locations I have less. So I will be continuing.  I have no intention of giving up

[R.G.]

This is my first build and ...well.....its dead. It was recommended to make an audio probe and go back and probe everythign  which I will. I checked for power and I've got 9 volts up to ground, but at some of the component locations I have less. So I will be continuing.  I have no intention of giving up

Good for you! With an attitude like that, they will start working. I flatly expect that the first build of any new design will not work, and I've been doing this for a long time.

Do go read "Debugging: what to do when it doesn't work" for a formulaic approach to this problem. Doing all that stuff by rote seems to be just make-work, right up until it makes you measure something you already "knew" was right, but isn't. It's actually a distillation of my internal procedure for what *I* do when something new doesn't work and the problem is not just screamingly clear from the symptoms.