topic Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers in Fusion Electronics Forum

Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

warren_hawkins57R37 — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:22:04 GMT

Would you be able to add multiple silkscreen layers so we may use multiple colors?

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

jorge_garcia — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:59:04 GMT

I hope you're doing well. So this is already possible, this is what the user layers are for. If you ever import a bitmap you'll notice that each color in the bitmap gets assigned to it's own layer. Now multi-color silkscreen is expensive and you generally don't want to go beyond a few colors (I think 16 would be a good upper limit).

When you go to export the gerbers, each color(layer) should be it's own gerber file and you'll have to make sure with the manufacturer how they want that organized.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

warren_hawkins57R37 — Fri, 20 Sep 2024 17:02:17 GMT

Yes I know I can do it and gernerate gerbers but the 3D model will not reflect it.

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

warren_hawkins57R37 — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:30:20 GMT

Good morning. I also realized over the weekend that user layers are not automatically mirrored. It would be good to add the option of adding the ability to map user layer pairs to the mirror function. I could have used this in other scenarious too such as the countersinks.

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

jorge_garcia — Mon, 23 Sep 2024 20:08:17 GMT

Hello @warren_hawkins57R37,

I hope you're doing well. If you look at the reference for the layer command, there are mirrorable pairs of user layers which you can use for application that require the mirror behavior. Those layer pairs are

This is supported for the layer pairs 53/54, 55/56, 57/58 and 59/60. It should be used with care regarding later EAGLE versions.

See here for more details

https://help.autodesk.com/view/fusion360/ENU/?guid=ECD-CLI-L#layer

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

warren_hawkins57R37 — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 15:46:49 GMT

Ok that can work. It's a bit tricky as the layers can only be added in the command line and need to be added to the electronics design. They are not added automatically when the library part containing them is added.

Also are you saying this could be removed in newer versions of Fusion?

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

warren_hawkins57R37 — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:10:59 GMT

FYI these layers are not available in the CAM Processor.

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

jorge_garcia — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:11:36 GMT

Hi @warren_hawkins57R37,

I hope you're doing well. The note is actually to future devs to handle those layers with care to make sure they aren't lost to the users.

There are no plans to remove those layers, there is work being done to make them more discoverable and easier to setup.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

warren_hawkins57R37 — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 17:14:39 GMT

Hi Jorge,

They don't seem to be usable as they are not available in the CAM processor.

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

jorge_garcia — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 19:41:30 GMT

Hi @warren_hawkins57R37,

Once you create them and have data on them, are you saying they don't show up in any of the cam tabs. Usually you can add in the layers you are interested in.

If you can post a picture I can investigate it further.

Best Regards,

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

warren_hawkins57R37 — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 20:10:13 GMT

Here are the screenshots.

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

jorge_garcia — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 16:02:15 GMT

Hi @warren_hawkins57R37 ,

I've pinged the developers on this and have pre-emptively added a defect report just in case.

Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.

Best Regards,

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

chris_cummingsDT — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 17:25:47 GMT

Glad to hear that @jorge_garcia ! JLC PCB now offers multi-color silkscreen and others may join the fray. Having CMYK or spot color support would be awesome, since inside the IDE you can auto-mask off pads, etc.

https://jlcpcb.com/resources/multicolor-silkscreen-pcb

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

rd_e2 — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 07:46:18 GMT

Hello warren,

Have you found a way to accomplish this in Fusion 360?

Re: Feature request add multiple silkscreen layers

warren_hawkins57R37 — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:26:34 GMT

You could use the user layers and add them to separate Gerber files in the CAM export.