This tutorial explains how to enhance the paste stencil openings over the pads for improved solder paste application.
Open or import the design with the paste mask layers that you wish to create the stencils from.
Use the Tools|Paste Mask|Optimize command to take care of properly undersizing the pads.
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If your design does not have paste mask layers, use the Tools|Paste Mask|Generate command to create them.
Select the Tools|Stencils|Setup Shapes command, and define the stencil shapes you want to use.
Select the Tools|Stencils|Manual Conversion command to teach the system which stencil shapes you want to associate with which original openings over pad pairs. After selecting each pair of openings, when you are asked whether you want to convert the matching openings, click No. It will still save the assignments you make, but the openings will not be converted yet.
Select the Tools|Stencils|Automatic Conversion command to specify which paste mask layers you wish to convert, what destination layers to place the stencil data on, and convert all the openings.
Tip: Once you have completed steps 3 and 4, you can save the stencil definitions and associations to a file by clicking the Save button in the Automatic Stencil Conversion dialog box. The next time you want to enhance a stencil using the same stencil shape definitions and associations, you can skip steps 3 and 4 above. Just select the Tools|Stencils|Automatic Conversion command, click the Load button to load the file, and run the conversion.