Interested in starting a conversation on what programs (software), methods, manufacturers etc. that custom printed circuit board designers use to bring their ideas to life 'so to speak'. In my practice I am more involved with computer science and integrating of Internet of Things components. As I develop more involved education and research projects, I am moving to making use of or developing custom PCB designs.
As one example, found this excellent explanation of Gerber files (https://www.vse.com/blog/2019/10/29/gerber-files-explained-understanding-their-role-in-pcb-manufacturing/) from a manufacturer in the United States.
One of my colleagues used this manufacturing service for his private projects: https://jlcpcb.com/. He showed us the PCBs, the quality was excellent. The company offers also assembling of the PCBs, you just need to send them the design files and will receive the complete PCB in a relatively short time. When you place an order, you can follow the manufacturing process in details, the service is really not bad.
Regarding the design software, most of the people that I know use Eagle for private projects (see https://www.autodesk.de/products/eagle/). Here in Germany, there is also a community using TARGET 3001 (https://www.ibfriedrich.com/). As I know, both design software packages are available for free for small private projects. The software allows you to draw circuit diagrams and create PCB layouts, by running a design check, you can ensure that the layout really implements the circuit diagram that you have drawn. The software can also output data for the manufacturing, i.e. Gerber data that you mentioned in your question. Further, you can generate 3D data from the design and load it in a mechanical 3D CAD, provided, you have 3D data of all used components. A part of the design software is electrical simulation, it also requires proper data to work properly.
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