> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # One-Click Manufacturing > Submit your design to PCB fabs and assembly houses from inside Trace — no distributor hopping, no manual form-filling, no leaving the editor. One-click manufacturing is available on **Pro**, **Pro Team**, **Ultra**, **Ultra Team**, and **On-Demand** plans. Free plan users can still generate Gerbers via [Exporting Designs](/guides/exporting) but cannot submit orders through Trace. Trace talks directly to fabricators and assembly houses through their partner APIs. Pick a manufacturer, let Trace autofill the order form from your design, review the quote, and confirm — all without leaving the editor. ## Two Ways to Order ### Send to Manufacturer Dialog From the PCB Editor toolbar, click **Send to Manufacturer** (or go to **File → Send to Manufacturer**). This opens a dedicated dialog where you can: 1. **Select your manufacturer** — Choose between PCBWay (fab + assembly) or Pikkolo (US-based assembly) 2. **Review auto-detected parameters** — Trace reads your board file and pre-fills layer count, dimensions, trace width/spacing, minimum hole size, thickness, surface finish, copper weight, and more 3. **Adjust order details** — Override any auto-detected value, select assembly type (Turnkey, Kitted, Combo), choose solder color, via process, and surface finish 4. **Attach files** — Gerbers, BOM, and pick-and-place files are generated and attached automatically 5. **Submit** — The order is sent directly to the manufacturer's API The dialog shows a real-time progress indicator during submission and provides status updates as the order moves through quoting and fabrication. ### AI-Driven Flow Alternatively, ask the AI to handle the entire process conversationally: ## Supported Manufacturers | Manufacturer | Services | Board Size Limit | Layers | Notes | | -------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- | ---------------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **PCBWay** | Fabrication + Assembly (Turnkey, Kitted, Combo) | 500 × 1100 mm | 1–14 | HDI, blind/buried vias, impedance control, castellated holes | | **Pikkolo Assembly** | Assembly + Fabrication (beta) (Denver, CO) | 250 × 250 mm | 2, 4 | US-based, lead-free and leaded options, consignment or sourced parts, ships in as little as 24 hours | Additional manufacturers will be added over time. Use [`get_manufacturer_capabilities`](/concepts/intelligent-tools#manufacturing) to ask the AI what a given manufacturer supports before committing. ## The Send Flow Ask the AI "set PCBWay as my manufacturer" or "I want to use Pikkolo for assembly." This persists the choice to your project and tunes DRC rules, component sourcing, and the order form accordingly. Ask the AI to "load PCBWay 4-layer 1oz DRC rules" (or the preset that matches your stackup). Trace replaces your project's `.kicad_dru` with the manufacturer's preset and re-runs DRC so you catch fab-specific violations before submitting. Available presets: * **PCBWay** — `pcbway_2layer_1oz`, `pcbway_2layer_2oz`, `pcbway_4layer_1oz`, `pcbway_6plus_layer_1oz` * **Pikkolo** — `pikkolo_standard` Use **File → Export → Gerbers** or ask Trace to "generate Gerbers and drill files." For assembly orders, also generate the BOM and pick-and-place files. Everything is packaged into a single ZIP. Ask Trace to "send this board to PCBWay for a quote" or click **Send to Manufacturer** in the export dialog. Trace uploads your Gerber ZIP (plus BOM/PnP if assembly), calls the partner API, and creates an order record with status `pending_review`. When the manufacturer returns pricing, the order transitions to `quote_received`. For PCBWay, Trace calculates freight for your shipping address and presents total cost, production lead time, and tracking options. Confirm the order. Trace supports two PCBWay payment paths: * **Partner Account** — Settled monthly against your PCBWay partner credit * **PCBWay Online Payment** — Redirects you to PCBWay's hosted payment page Pikkolo orders are confirmed through its 4-step partner flow (create project, upload files, approve quote, pay). Once paid, the order moves to `in_production` and Trace polls the partner API for status updates. Every order has a live progress view showing manufacturing stages (material prep, inner layer imaging, plating, outer layer, solder mask, silkscreen, surface finish, e-test, QC, shipping). For PCBWay orders, Trace pulls the live status and fabrication progress whenever you open the order. ## AI-Assisted Order Autofill You rarely need to fill out an order form by hand. Trace can analyze your `.trace_pcb` file and recommend every parameter — layer count, board dimensions, min trace/space, minimum hole size, thickness, surface finish, copper weight, via process, silkscreen sides, and (for PCBWay) whether goldfingers or castellation apply. Ask: > "Autofill a PCBWay order for this board." The backend analyzes your board, matches your stackup against PCBWay's capability matrix, and returns a pre-filled order form ready for review. You confirm what you want to change, and Trace submits. ## Order Lifecycle Every order flows through this state machine: ``` pending_review ↓ quote_received ──► awaiting_freight ──► freight_received ──► awaiting_payment ↓ in_production ↓ shipped ↓ delivered ┌─► cancelled (from any pre-payment state) └─► error (API failure, retriable) ``` You can cancel any order in `pending_review`, `quote_received`, `awaiting_freight`, `freight_received`, or `awaiting_payment`. Once an order enters `in_production`, cancellation must be arranged directly with the manufacturer. ## Viewing Your Orders Ask Trace "show my open orders" or visit the [buildwithtrace.com dashboard](https://buildwithtrace.com/dashboard) → **Manufacturing**. You'll see: * All orders across projects * Current status and last update timestamp * Links to re-download the Gerber, BOM, and PnP files submitted with the order * Tracking numbers and carrier info once the order ships ## DRC Presets and Fab-Specific Rules Each manufacturer ships with a DRC preset that encodes their published tolerances. When you load a preset, Trace: 1. Replaces the project's DRC rules with the manufacturer's 2. Re-runs DRC and surfaces any new violations in the chat 3. Offers to fix common violations automatically (increase trace width, expand annular rings, move silkscreen off pads) This catches "my board won't fab" problems before you've paid for a quote. ## Pikkolo-Specific Notes Pikkolo is a US-based small-batch assembly and fabrication house (fabrication in beta) with stricter process limits than PCBWay. Notable restrictions: * No plated slots * No blind/buried vias * No microvias under 6 mil finished hole * No controlled impedance stackups * All drills must be ≥ 10 mil finished diameter * Inner copper must clear the board edge by ≥ 15 mil * Drill-to-copper clearance ≥ 10 mil Pikkolo supports three PCB sourcing modes: * **Fabricate with Pikkolo** — Pikkolo handles fabrication and assembly end-to-end * **Ship from fab** — Pikkolo receives bare boards from your chosen fab * **Ship yourself** — You provide the bare boards Every job gets a laser-cut stainless steel stencil and custom snap-in assembly trays. Components can come from DigiKey, Mouser, or Arrow, or you can consign parts by shipping them to Denver. ## Idempotency Confirming an order accepts an optional `X-Idempotency-Key` header on the API. If your network drops mid-confirm, Trace retries with the same key and the backend returns the cached response rather than creating a duplicate order. This is handled automatically by the desktop app. ## Limitations * **One manufacturer per project at a time.** You can switch, but it resets the preferred-manufacturer setting. * **Freight calculation is PCBWay-only.** Pikkolo freight is quoted as part of the assembly quote. * **Partner account payment requires a PCBWay partner agreement.** Most users should choose PCBWay Online Payment. * **Order files expire after 90 days** in Trace storage. Download them if you need them for audits. ## Related * [Exporting Designs](/guides/exporting) — Generate the Gerber/BOM/PnP files that get uploaded * [DRC Rule Editor](/concepts/drc-rule-editor) — Understand the rules that manufacturer presets replace * [DFM & the Automated Line](/concepts/dfm-and-the-automated-line) — How Trace's outputs map to the machines that build your board * [Intelligent Tools — Manufacturing](/concepts/intelligent-tools#manufacturing) — The AI tools behind the scenes ## For Manufacturers Running a fab or assembly house and want to receive orders from Trace users? Trace partners with manufacturers who accept our normalized output format (Gerber + BOM + pick-and-place) through a partner API. Email [hello@buildwithtrace.com](mailto:hello@buildwithtrace.com?subject=Manufacturing%20Partnership%20with%20Trace) with "Manufacturing Partnership" in the subject line to start a conversation.