What to Send for PCB Copy Quote: Files, Photos, Board

What to Send for a PCB Copy Quote

To get an accurate PCB copy quote, send three things: high-resolution photos of both sides of the board, any existing design files you have (Gerber, BOM, schematic — even partial), and the physical board itself if possible. Knowing exactly what to send for PCB copy quote requests eliminates back-and-forth and gets pricing into your inbox faster. Most quotes are returned within 24 hours when the submission is complete.

Why Your Quote Submission Package Matters

Incomplete submissions are the single biggest cause of quote delays. When an engineer sends a blurry phone photo of one side of a 6-layer board with no dimensions, our team has to ask follow-up questions — adding 2–5 business days before pricing can even begin. A complete package lets us assess layer count, component density, and special requirements in one pass.

The difference between a same-day ballpark and a week of back-and-forth is usually just 15 minutes of preparation on your end. Here is exactly what to gather before you submit your quote request.

The 7-Item Checklist: What to Send for PCB Copy Quote Requests

Items 1–3 and 6 are the absolute minimum. Without them, no responsible service can quote accurately.

How to Take Useful Board Photos

Most quote photos we receive are taken at an angle, under yellow overhead light, with a thumb covering a connector. That does not help. Follow these guidelines:

• Shoot straight down. Place the board on a white or light-gray surface. Hold the camera parallel to the board, not at an angle.
• Use natural or diffused light. Avoid flash — it creates hot spots on solder mask that obscure trace routing.
• Capture both sides. Flip the board and photograph the bottom with the same framing.
• Include a ruler or coin for scale if you are not providing exact dimensions.
• Close-ups of fine-pitch ICs. If the board has BGA, QFP-144, or 0201 passives, take a macro shot of those areas so we can assess component density.

Resolution matters. An 8-megapixel image of a 100 × 80 mm board gives us roughly 3.5 mil/pixel — enough to read most silkscreen markings. Below 5 MP, part numbers become unreadable and we will need the physical board to proceed.

Which Design Files Help (and Which Are Not Necessary)

You may not have any files at all — that is fine; it is the most common scenario in PCB copy and reverse engineering work. But if you do have partial data, sending it saves time and reduces cost. Understanding what to send for PCB copy quote purposes helps you prioritize the most useful documents.

Files That Speed Up Quoting

• Gerber files (RS-274X or X2): Even an old revision tells us board outline, drill sizes, and copper layers. If the revision does not match the physical board, note that.
• Bill of Materials (BOM): An Excel or CSV list of component values, footprints, and manufacturer part numbers. Even a 60% complete BOM cuts component-identification time in half.
• Schematic (PDF or native): Helps verify net connectivity during full PCB reverse engineering. Native formats (OrCAD .dsn, Altium .SchDoc, KiCad .kicad_sch) are more useful than PDF.
• Pick-and-place / centroid file: Gives X-Y coordinates and rotation for every component — valuable for dense SMT boards.

Files That Are Nice but Not Critical

• IPC netlist or ODB++ archive — useful for multi-layer verification but rarely available for legacy boards.
• 3D STEP model — helps with enclosure-fit checks but does not affect the quote itself.

When (and How) to Ship the Physical Board

For 1- and 2-layer boards with standard components, clear photos plus dimensions are usually enough for quoting. For anything more complex — 4+ layers, blind/buried vias, HDI, flex-rigid — we need the board in hand to cross-section or X-ray it.

Shipping Tips

• Anti-static bag + bubble wrap. ESD damage can destroy ICs we need to read.
• Use a tracked courier (DHL, FedEx, UPS). We have received boards via standard post that arrived 3 weeks late with bent connectors.
• Mark fragile connectors. If the board has ribbon cable headers, ZIF sockets, or press-fit connectors, flag them with tape and a note.
• Customs declaration: Declare as “printed circuit board for engineering evaluation” with a low declared value (replacement cost, not project value). This avoids unnecessary duty holds.

Clients in Europe and North America commonly ship to us and receive quotes within 24–48 hours of board arrival. If you are located in Toronto or Berlin, transit is typically 3–5 business days with express service.

Details That Affect the Quote Price

Beyond the board itself, the following specifics directly influence cost. Including them in your submission is part of what to send for PCB copy quote accuracy — and it avoids a second round of questions.

What You Will Receive After Submitting

Once we have your photos, files, and board details, our engineers review the submission and return a formal quote that includes:

• Estimated layer count (confirmed after X-ray if board is in hand)
• Scope of deliverables — Gerber, BOM, schematic, netlist, or full native project
• Turnaround time in working days (typical range: 5–15 days depending on complexity)
• Fixed price — no hourly billing, no surprise add-ons

You can review examples of completed projects in our portfolio of recovered boards to see what the final deliverables look like.

Common Mistakes That Delay Quotes

After processing thousands of quote requests, these are the errors we see most often — and they directly contradict what to send for PCB copy quote best practices:

• Sending only one side of the board. We need both. Always.
• Omitting quantity. A 1-off prototype recovery and a 500-unit production clone have different workflows and pricing.
• Compressed images. Email and messaging apps often resize photos to under 1 MP. Use a file-sharing link (Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer) for full-resolution images.
• No board dimensions. Photos without scale references force us to guess — and guessing is not quoting.
• Assuming we have the schematic. Unless you attach it, we do not have it. State clearly what you have and what you need us to recreate.

Ready to Get Your Quote?

Gather your photos, files, and board details using the checklist above, then submit everything through our quote form. If you are shipping a board from Amsterdam or anywhere else in the EU, we can provide a shipping label and customs template on request.

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