PCB Challenge

• Creator Track is for anyone who already owns a laser engraver — you design, build, film, and publish independently.
• Designer Track is for anyone without a laser engraver but with PCB design skills — you submit design files, and em-smart will select up to five designs total from all entries to produce.

Yes. Register for Designer Track instead — you submit design files and em-smart may select yours for official production.

No, each participant may register for only one track. If you're unsure which one fits you, ask in Discord Q&A before registering.

No. Registration only collects your basic info and gives you a unique Entry ID. You'll need this ID when submitting your project materials by email later.

Submissions must be sent from your registered email before September 15, 2026, 11:59 PM PT. Entries received after this deadline are not counted.

No, each participant may register for only one track. If you're unsure which one fits you, ask in Discord Q&A before registering.

Instagram Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts — up to one official entry per platform and up to three entries total.

Tag or @ the official em-smart account for that platform, and include both #emsmartPCBChallenge2026 and #emsmart.

Only to the registered submission email (Gerber files, schematic, BOM, functional description, and preview image). Design files are not accepted through the website form or Discord.

Sorry, the Grand Champion Award is only awarded from Creator Track. Designer Track has its own Champion, Excellence, and Outstanding Entry awards.

No, official awards aren't stacked. Everyone who completes a valid submission, including winners, still receives the base participation reward.

Winners are announced September 21, 2026, and have until September 27, 2026 to redeem their prize or choose their purchase benefit.

Yes, in most cases. Our main site campaign already offers category discounts (10% off AXI, 12% off Dual series, 5% off Basic and Nova series, 10% off MOPA series). Challenge winners, except for the Grand Prize winner, can stack their challenge reward on top of these main campaign discounts for an extra discount.

Challenge rewards by tier:

Grand Prize: choose one of the following: 50% off a Dual, a $1000 coupon toward a MOPA 60, or 20% off an AXI at full price. This reward cannot be stacked with the main campaign discount.

1st Prize: $100 cash, plus choose one purchase discount: AXI 15%, MOPA 30W/60W 15%, Basic 5%, Nova 1/2 10%, or Dual 2/SE 15%. Stackable with the main campaign discount.

2nd Prize: $50 cash, plus choose one purchase discount: AXI 10%, MOPA 30W/60W 10%, Basic 5%, Nova 1/2 5%, or Dual 2/SE 10%. Stackable with the main campaign discount.

3rd Prize: a $50 site wide coupon, valid on orders over $300.

Participation Reward: a $20 site wide coupon, valid on orders over $300.