Question: [Touch panels](https://www.buydisplay.com/2-inch-4-wire-resistive-touch-panel-screen) seem to have a connector that has thin lines on a thin film.

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EvkWX.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EvkWX.png) [![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2TIAa.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2TIAa.png)

Factories should have sophisticated machines to do such thing, but what about for individuals at home? If a person wants to connect such a thing to an Arduino or Raspberry Pi, is it possible? I wonder if there is some kind of adapter that makes the printed lines into common pins.

Answer: 
The things you refer to aren't called "Ribbon Cables". A ribbon cable looks like this:

[![actual ribbon cable](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZPJ9t.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZPJ9t.png)

They're made of many conductors, each a cyclinder in approximately cylindric insulators.

What you show is FPC cable, flexible printed circuitry cable.

It's more like a PCB than a cable!

[![FPC](https://i.stack.imgur.com/T5aAe.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/T5aAe.jpg)

You can design these with normal PCB design tools, and order them in factories.

Then, they'll have the shape you define, and there's a lot of connectors you can "snap" them into, and these come with info on how the connecting parts (golden in your photo) have to be designed.

[![FFC/FPC connector](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4u8s7.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4u8s7.jpg)

There's also "middle ground": FFC, which is basically FPC with "simple" shapes that someone else already designed for you:

[![FFC](https://i.stack.imgur.com/NBnoP.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/NBnoP.jpg)

However, the FFC/FPC connectors typically require designed PCBs themselves – it simply makes little sense trying to connect a high-density cable to e.g. a breadboard, geometrically. So, you'd need a *breakout board* (a type of adapter) to connect your board to a connector to connect a cable that's actually a board to another board.

That might very well be the point where it pays to learn how to design your own boards so that you don't need another adapter. Also: When someone decides that it's best to use FPC like your touchscreen designer did, chances are there's high-speed signals involved, which you can't transport well on anything with a 2.54mm pitch, anyways.

But all that is very much in the realm of possible for individuals – designing PCBs is not that hard anymore, and ordering them has become incredibly easy and cheap. You just upload your KiCAD, Eagle, … file to e.g. oshpark.com, and get your PCB a while later for little money.
From site referenced:

> 
> The FPC is the soldering type, no need connector.
> 
> 
> 

If you check the [datasheet for touchscreen](https://www.buydisplay.com/download/manual/ER-TP020-1_Drawing.pdf), pins appear to have a 0.8mm pitch (P).

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dsg7zm.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dsg7zm.png)

You need a [0.8mm pitch FPC to 0.1 inch pitch adapter](https://www.proto-advantage.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3400020) or [Adafruit Multi-pitch FPC Adapter](https://www.adafruit.com/product/1436). Doubtful at 0.8mm pitch you will find throughhole connector, but SMT connectors exist.

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4HLAKm.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4HLAKm.png)

Or choose [one with a connector or adapter board](https://www.buydisplay.com/1-8-inch-4-wire-resistive-touch-panel-screen). Solder wires to connector or plug into USB for adapter.

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JBdpv.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JBdpv.png)