Seven Pre-Submission Checks Every Engineer Should Run on PCB Gerber Files

Engineers preparing PCB designs for fabrication are advised to verify their exported Gerber files independently, rather than relying solely on how the design appears in the authoring software. A practical seven-step review workflow covers confirming package completeness, loading all layers into a dedicated Gerber viewer, and checking that the board outline is closed and correctly dimensioned. Common errors such as displaced drill files, misidentified layers, and content outside the board boundary can go undetected until the manufacturing package itself is inspected. Reviewers are also urged to compare the file set against both the intended layer stack and the manufacturer's submission requirements before sending. The guidance applies whether the files were self-generated, received from a client, or being approved without access to the original design tool.