The Protective Coating
Solder mask is the colored coating covering most of a finished PCB surface. Three jobs: prevent solder bridging during assembly, protect copper traces from oxidation and damage, provide contrast for silkscreen legends. LPI (Liquid Photoimageable) is the industry standard - UV-sensitive epoxy ink applied as a liquid, dried, exposed through artwork or LDI, developed to open pad areas, and thermally cured into a hard permanent coating. Our Taiyo and Tamura lines create precise solder mask dams between 0.3mm-pitch pads without encroachment.
| Color | Application |
|---|---|
| Green | Standard; best AOI contrast |
| Black | Consumer/LED aesthetics |
| White | LED lighting/medical |
| Blue | Prototype identification |
| Red | High-temp/aesthetic |
