SVG PCB Trace Cleanup and Colors

Clean Traces in Inkscape

A way to quickly process a SVG output from KiCAD in Inkscape is:

  1. Make layers in this order top down: Text, Holes, Vias, Traces, Pour, BoardOutline, Unused
  2. Move geometry to correct layers above.
  3. Lock the Holes and BoardOutline layers
  4. Hide all layers except Traces and Pour
  5. Ctrl-A to select all
  6. Select Extensions > Arrange > Deep Ungroup
  7. Ctrl-A to select all
  8. Select menu: Path > Stoke to Path
  9. Now select menu: Path > Union
  10. Holy Cow! All your pours and traces are combined into true vector paths!
  11. Turn on all layers
  12. For complex boards you may have to repeat step above. In addition Path > Break Apart can be helpful as well.
  13. Select you board outlines, go to fill and stroke in inkscape, turn on fill, turn of stroke, set the color per the section below “PCB RGBA colors”.
  14. Boom Done !OMG so cleaned up!
  15. If you have text to mill, union (for copper text) or difference (for text subtracted out of pours) that text separately.

PCB RGBA colors

  1. ffe36ece FR1 milled Yellow Tan
  2. e97d3dff Copper Traces
  3. 12121264 Holes

References: 7 Main PCB Colors: How to Select the Best One

The above may not be needed for mods. But for other CAM it helps with tool-path generation!