Beginner's Guide to Solder Paste

Note: By “beginner’s guide”, I mean a guide written by a beginner. (I made it at TechShop SF, during my first weeks!) I have some technique tips to share, but for more in-depth questions, Google is your friend.
Solder paste allows you to populate a board with many tiny components, without straining your eyes and fingers. Using minuscule components saves space, and you can dramatically cut down the space between them when you don’t have to solder every connection by hand.

Using a jig promotes accuracy and efficiency. We’ve used a couple of pieces of cardboard, secured to form a rigid corner.
In this example, we’re using a custom PCB (printed circuit board) from a manufacturing company. This piece will produce four boards, each of which will power an 8BitLit lamp. Each silver pad will be connected to a component lead.
 
For more detail: Beginner’s Guide to Solder Paste