A Gerber Job file can communicate fabrication information in a structured form, but it must agree with the layer files and drawings delivered beside it. A syntactically valid file can still describe an earlier stackup or reference filenames that were changed during packaging. Review both structure and manufacturing meaning.
Ucamco’s Gerber Job specification defines the format and its schema. It also distinguishes the CAD material stackup from the actual fabrication construction. Treat exported metadata as a design statement that needs reconciliation with the supplier-reviewed requirements.
Validate the exact delivered file
Use a compatible schema checker where available to detect structural errors. Then inspect the job file from the final archive, not a working copy elsewhere in the output directory. Filename changes or manual edits after export can make the final package differ from what was originally checked.
Match every referenced layer file to the corresponding delivered file. Confirm layer functions and ordering using the actual copper, mask, legend, drill, and profile data as applicable. Do not assume that an expected filename proves the contained geometry belongs to that layer.
Reconcile fabrication attributes
| Information | Cross-check |
|---|---|
| Board identity and revision | Release manifest and fabrication drawing |
| File references | Actual archive contents and layer functions |
| Thickness, finish, and related attributes | Approved fabrication requirements |
| Material stackup | Supplier-reviewed construction and design assumptions |
Record which fields the exporter provides and which requirements remain in other documents. A missing optional field should not silently become a supplier default if the project has a specific requirement elsewhere. Keep a requirement-to-document map for attributes that remain outside the job file. This prevents a downstream script from treating an empty field as permission to replace a drawing requirement with a standard process choice.
Resolve conflicts before handoff
- Identify the conflicting field and document revisions.
- Confirm the intended engineering requirement.
- Correct the source or output configuration.
- Regenerate affected files together.
- Recheck the final archive and retain its manifest.
A schema validator cannot decide whether the stated thickness, finish, or stackup is suitable for the product. Likewise, a viewer that opens every layer does not prove that the metadata is consistent. Keep those checks distinct in the release record.
Ask the receiving fabricator which structured fields its import workflow uses and how unresolved attributes will be reviewed. The goal is a coherent manufacturing instruction, not merely an additional file in the archive. The output-set guide helps prevent an obsolete job file from remaining beside newly generated layers.
Move from reading to a build-ready project
Use the fabrication and assembly checklists to prepare drawings, production files and test requirements.
Open the DFM checklist