Bitmaps in PCB silkscreen? Who would have thunk this is possible?!!! After working in Eagle for several years now (I started back in 2007), I just learned about this capability today.

Before, I would painstakingly trace and use polygons to recreate an image or logo… and even then, the results were marginally satisfactory. It also took a lot of time and trial and error to make it look right.

Today I learned the secret is running the ULP script “Import-BMP”. In a few seconds you’re done!

Here’s a comparison of a BEFORE and AFTER of the FABModules logo.

fab2010-XLRInput

Note the FABModules logo on the lower left corner. It’s a close approximation of the FABModules logo as seen on this website. In particular, take note of the typeface, spacing and kerning.

Now, here’s the new version. It’s a 100% exact replica of the FABModules logo. It even looks better when printed on paper.

newfabpcb