I followed another link where someone reported that making that 3D printer controller Perf+ board (unpopulated!) took an hour and 15 minutes, claiming it compared favorably with making a PCB at home.<p>No way! From the moment I hit &quot;print&quot; on a laser printer to having the PCB etched and drilled could probably be half an hour or even less.<p>Also, I&#x27;m reasonably confident that the PCB will be free of issues, because I didn&#x27;t take any steps whereby I manually transfer the details of the design to the item.<p>Taking an existing CAD design for a Perf+ board, and painstakingly cutting the traces and making the solder joints is time consuming, and error-prone. You have to read the coordinates of the solder joints and cuts and then perform them in the correct place; you&#x27;re a human CNC machine, basically.<p>I rarely use prototyping boards for anything any more, unless it is extremely simple; I go straight to home-made PCB.