Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Altium Develop connects your schematic, your supply chain, and your fabricator in one place, so manufacturing questions like copper thieving get settled before you release your files: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=pcb-manufacturing&utm_content=copper-thieving-in-altium-explained-when-you-actually-need-it
Copper thieving is that grid of small, disconnected copper squares you sometimes spot scattered across an otherwise empty area of a PCB. It turns up constantly in board photos online, and almost nobody explains it properly. In this video, Zach Peterson traces the claim back through the Reddit thread that started it, PCB manufacturer documentation, and the actual research literature to work out what copper thieving really does.
The short version: thieving adds dummy copper to sparse regions of the outer layers so plating current spreads evenly across the panel, which protects plating uniformity in plated through holes and press-fit connector holes. On the inner layers the same idea is called copper balancing, and it targets even copper distribution, etch uniformity, and reduced board warpage.
📚 More from this Episode:
- What Is Thieving In PCBs And Why Is It Done? — Kella Knack, Altium: resources.altium.com/p/what-thieving-pcbs-and-why-it-done
- Copper Thieving: Balance PCB Copper for Better Yield — JLCPCB: jlcpcb.com/blog/copper-thieving-pcb-balance
- A Study on the Effectiveness of Dummy Pattern Design Existence in Multi-Layer PBGA Application — IEEE ECTC 2001: ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/7382/20058/00928030.pdf
- Non-Traditional Cell Geometry for Improved Copper Plating Uniformity — J. Electrochem. Soc. 163(8), on ResearchGate: researchgate.net/publication/303510368_Non-Traditional_Cell_Geometry_for_Improved_Copper_Plating_Uniformity
💡 Watch Next:
- To Pour or Not To Pour | Copper Pour in PCB Design: youtube.com/watch?v=R3w4Go1s1hM
- How to Create Polygons in Altium Designer | PCB Layout: youtube.com/watch?v=RM18_zJs31E
- How to Use the Polygon Manager in Altium Designer: youtube.com/watch?v=FjWB2xR1-2c
- Chemical Processing in PCB Manufacturing: youtube.com/watch?v=jMCtsPK3drc
💡 Stay Connected:
Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth tutorials and tips from @AltiumAcademy Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
👉 Subscribe for more: youtube.com/@AltiumAcademy?sub_confirmation=1
Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content.
👉 Follow Altium on TikTok: tiktok.com/@altiumdesigner
👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: twitter.com/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: facebook.com/AltiumOfficial
The Altium Academy is an online experience created to bring modern education to PCB Designers and Engineers all across the world. Here you can access a vast library of free training and educational content covering everything from basic design to advanced principles and step-by-step walkthroughs. Join industry legends as they share their career knowledge, review real-life design projects, or learn how to leverage one of Altium's leading design tools. No matter your level of experience, the Altium Academy can help you become a better Designer and Engineer!
About Altium LLC
Altium LLC (ASX:ALU), a global software company based in San Diego, California, is accelerating the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB designers and engineers choose Altium software to design and realize electronics-based products.
#altium #pcbdesign #pcbmanufacturing
Chapters
00:00 Copper Thieving Intro
01:30 Copper Thieving: What?
02:48 Altium Blog Insights
03:49 Pattern Plating Process ️
05:12 Manufacturer Views
05:59 JLCPCB Article Review
07:47 Dummy Copper Pattern
09:33 Thieving Justification
11:04 Altium Designer Setup
12:34 Settings Adjustment ️
13:39 Restore Polygons
14:24 Copper Thieving Summary
Altium Develop connects your schematic, your supply chain, and your fabricator in one place, so manufacturing questions like copper thieving get settled before you release your files: altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=pcb-manufacturing&utm_content=copper-thieving-in-altium-explained-when-you-actually-need-it
Copper thieving is that grid of small, disconnected copper squares you sometimes spot scattered across an otherwise empty area of a PCB. It turns up constantly in board photos online, and almost nobody explains it properly. In this video, Zach Peterson traces the claim back through the Reddit thread that started it, PCB manufacturer documentation, and the actual research literature to work out what copper thieving really does.
The short version: thieving adds dummy copper to sparse regions of the outer layers so plating current spreads evenly across the panel, which protects plating uniformity in plated through holes and press-fit connector holes. On the inner layers the same idea is called copper balancing, and it targets even copper distribution, etch uniformity, and reduced board warpage.
📚 More from this Episode:
- What Is Thieving In PCBs And Why Is It Done? — Kella Knack, Altium: resources.altium.com/p/what-thieving-pcbs-and-why-it-done
- Copper Thieving: Balance PCB Copper for Better Yield — JLCPCB: jlcpcb.com/blog/copper-thieving-pcb-balance
- A Study on the Effectiveness of Dummy Pattern Design Existence in Multi-Layer PBGA Application — IEEE ECTC 2001: ieeexplore.ieee.org/iel5/7382/20058/00928030.pdf
- Non-Traditional Cell Geometry for Improved Copper Plating Uniformity — J. Electrochem. Soc. 163(8), on ResearchGate: researchgate.net/publication/303510368_Non-Traditional_Cell_Geometry_for_Improved_Copper_Plating_Uniformity
💡 Watch Next:
- To Pour or Not To Pour | Copper Pour in PCB Design: youtube.com/watch?v=R3w4Go1s1hM
- How to Create Polygons in Altium Designer | PCB Layout: youtube.com/watch?v=RM18_zJs31E
- How to Use the Polygon Manager in Altium Designer: youtube.com/watch?v=FjWB2xR1-2c
- Chemical Processing in PCB Manufacturing: youtube.com/watch?v=jMCtsPK3drc
💡 Stay Connected:
Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth tutorials and tips from @AltiumAcademy Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!
👉 Subscribe for more: youtube.com/@AltiumAcademy?sub_confirmation=1
Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content.
👉 Follow Altium on TikTok: tiktok.com/@altiumdesigner
👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: twitter.com/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/altium
👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: facebook.com/AltiumOfficial
The Altium Academy is an online experience created to bring modern education to PCB Designers and Engineers all across the world. Here you can access a vast library of free training and educational content covering everything from basic design to advanced principles and step-by-step walkthroughs. Join industry legends as they share their career knowledge, review real-life design projects, or learn how to leverage one of Altium's leading design tools. No matter your level of experience, the Altium Academy can help you become a better Designer and Engineer!
About Altium LLC
Altium LLC (ASX:ALU), a global software company based in San Diego, California, is accelerating the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB designers and engineers choose Altium software to design and realize electronics-based products.
#altium #pcbdesign #pcbmanufacturing
Chapters
00:00 Copper Thieving Intro
01:30 Copper Thieving: What?
02:48 Altium Blog Insights
03:49 Pattern Plating Process ️
05:12 Manufacturer Views
05:59 JLCPCB Article Review
07:47 Dummy Copper Pattern
09:33 Thieving Justification
11:04 Altium Designer Setup
12:34 Settings Adjustment ️
13:39 Restore Polygons
14:24 Copper Thieving Summary
