A technology is an environment in which design is done. Technologies can be layout specific, for example MOSIS CMOS, or they can be abstract, for example Schematics and Artwork. There are multiple CMOS variations to handle popular design rules such as MOSIS, submicron, etc.

Each technology consists of a set of primitive nodes and arcs. These, in turn, are constructed from one or more layers. Each technology also includes information necessary to do design, such as design rules, connectivity rules, simulation information, etc.

The primitive nodes in a technology come in three styles:

- PINS are used to join arcs, so there is one pin for every arc in the technology.
- COMPONENTS are the basic nodes used in design: contacts, transistors, etc.
- PURE-LAYER NODES are used for geometric manipulation (see Section 6-10-1). There is one pure-layer node for every layer in the technology.

The component menu in the side bar (on the left side of the editing window) shows arcs on the left (the menu entries with red border), pin nodes in the center column (these appear as boxes with a cross inside), and components on the right (the more complex layer combinations). The pure-layer nodes are available under the entry labeled "Pure".

Electric has a "sample" library built into it that illustrates many features. To access it, use the Sample Cells command (in menu Help / Load Built-in Libraries). The table below lists the cells in that library which illustrate different technologies:

Technology | Description | Sample Cell
mocmos | MOSIS CMOS rules | tech-MOSISCMOS{lay}
bipolar | Simple bipolar technology | tech-Bipolar{lay}
schematics | Digital schematics layout | tech-SchematicsDigital{sch}
schematics | Analog schematics layout | tech-SchematicsAnalog{sch}
artwork | Graphical design | tech-Artwork
pcb | Printed Circuit Boards | tech-PCB{sch}
nmos | n-Channel MOS rules | tech-nMOS{lay}
rcmos | Round CMOS rules | tech-RoundCMOS{lay}
efido | Digital Filter technology | tech-DigitalFilter
gem | Temporal Logic specification | tech-Gem