Next time you are designing a PCB you might want to try the new kid on the block. DesignSpark PCB is a free PCB design tool from RS. I am currently using Eagle for my PCB designs but I think this software is good enough to give a try on the next design. I still remember making my first design many years ago with Express PCB, I was surprised that they gave away their fully functional software for free but after the project was complete I found their profit motive. With Express PCB you can’t generate anything that a normal board house can use so you are stuck with getting Express PCB to manufacturer your boards. This didn’t matter to me since I was just printing the image to iron it to a piece of copper clad board anyway.
It sounds like DesignSpark PCB will always be free and it can produce files that can be taken anywhere for production. I am assuming that the parts list that the software produces will reference parts from the RS system which is no big deal. All in all I think this might be a winner and I can see this becoming the new hobbyist standard.
Via: Dangerous Prototypes and Adafruit