advice/help with printing custom PCBs - LED smiley light strip

[Sh3rpak!ng]

So I've been working on a little project to make an LED "smiley" strip to go into my smoked headlights. Made working pieces out of steel and 5mm amber LEDs which work very well ( the idea and theiry work :D ), but not bright enough. I've searched around but haven't had much luck finding 5mm amber LEDs brighter than 15,000 mcd so I am thinking component LEDs would be the better option?

Anyway, I have never designed or printed a PCB so I don't really know where to start. Googling pulled up a couple websites that make small batch prototype boards, but obviously you need to submit a special file with the design on it of which I have no experience. I have found some free software that apparently can create the design, but again, never used this stuff before (I do know a decent amount of autoCAD if that helps?)

I more or less know all the critical dimensions of the piece, just need to learn how to design it with the software and need to figure out which components to use (LEDs and resistors for 12v).

Can anyone point me in the direction of a good beginner instructional source? Or would anyone be willing to give me a phonecall to answer some questions and give me some tips? OR maybe there is an angel out there who's be willing to design the board for me? :D

I can't imagine something this simple would be too tough. Just LEDs and resistors.

Here are some pictures of what I made to help with a mental image of what I want to do on a PCB.

[Sh3rpak!ng]

Here are some of the websites I came up with - advice on these?

https://oshpark.com/
Free PCB software (any good?) - http://www.4pcb.com/free-pcb-layout-software/
this page seems to be tied to oshpark - http://dorkbotpdx.org/wiki/pcb_order
http://www.customcircuitboards.com/

[Das Delfin]

my dad used to make his own printed circuit boards. He had a whole setup involving an etching bath. I don't remember how he printed the actual boards but the idea is you had a sheet of copper and would cover the traces you wanted to keep in something and then lower the sheet into the etching bath and it would eat away all the copper you don't want. Then you clean it off and you're left with your traces. It's kind of a whole thing.

[Sh3rpak!ng]

my dad used to make his own printed circuit boards. He had a whole setup involving an etching bath. I don't remember how he printed the actual boards but the idea is you had a sheet of copper and would cover the traces you wanted to keep in something and then lower the sheet into the etching bath and it would eat away all the copper you don't want. Then you clean it off and you're left with your traces. It's kind of a whole thing.

hmmm I did stumble on an instructables page (didn't read it yet) that sounded like this process. I'll check it out, though again the biggest issue isn't even so much making a board as it is finding some much brighter amber LEDs which I am hoping would be accessible as individual components for a PCB rather than little 5mm dome bulbs. Haven't found anything brighter than ~15000mcd and I'm thinking I probably want something more like 30000mcd

[itsonlygeorge]

advice/help with printing custom PCBs - LED smiley light strip

my dad used to make his own printed circuit boards. He had a whole setup involving an etching bath. I don't remember how he printed the actual boards but the idea is you had a sheet of copper and would cover the traces you wanted to keep in something and then lower the sheet into the etching bath and it would eat away all the copper you don't want. Then you clean it off and you're left with your traces. It's kind of a whole thing.

I used to make circuits as a kid and used sharpies to make the traces before etching the copper.


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