for a single sided board using majority through-hole components, I work on layer 16, the 'bottom' layer
for a single sided board using majority smt components, I work on layer 1, the 'top' layer.
if you're working with the top layer and need to use a few TH components, make sure you decide what side of the board they're going on. eagle defaults through-holes as components on layer 1, solder on layer 16 for, but if you only have a layer 1, you'll want to mirror your th component so eagle knows it's flipped around.
if you're making a single sided board with through-hole components where the copper is going to end up on the bottom side of the board (with the components up) then yes, you should definitely be using the bottom layer, not the top layer. The top layer in eagle is supposed to be the top side of the board in real life, and vice versa, which is why it pre-determines whether the text is mirrored or not on each layer. It sounds like you are trying to 'trick' the software by designing on layer 1 and then printing and ironing as a bottom layer instead, which makes no sense. I can't think of any reason to do that because there is no difference between using one layer or the other, well, unless you really like the pretty red traces instead of blue ones...
I always work on the bottom layer, even if I am using nothing but surface-mount parts. Why? because when you print it, you don't have to remember to mirror the pattern before printing it so it irons on in the correct orientation. it's not a big deal to do so, but it's very easy to forget and be upset when you realize, after ironing (or worse, after etching, if you're really not paying attention) that everything is backwards.
How do you manage to work on the bottom layer for SMD equipment? By default all SMD library elements ALWAYS go to the red layer (Top) iso the Bottom blue layer. Is there a setting that needs to be adjusted?
How do you manage to work on the bottom layer for SMD equipment? By default all SMD library elements ALWAYS go to the red layer (Top) iso the Bottom blue layer. Is there a setting that needs to be adjusted?