Toner Transfer PCB Prototyping

If you have it there, the brand (JetPrintPhoto - Everyday) for inkjet printers works well for me. You just need to let it soak a good time in the water to get it to release well. Use the cotton setting on your iron and solid pressure to the board. I find it useful to use a wood dowel once the board is hot to roll over the paper with hard pressure to ensure all the pattern in smooth to the board.

Do you pre-heat the board before applying the mask?

Yes, I do pre-heat the board. Actually, that does bring me to another question, surely the pre-heating would not be ideal with a double sided board because of the precision needed in positioning the second layer?

Regards,

Rob

I have tried a wide range of paper. You are mainly looking for two properties: It must have a very smooth surface, and it must dissolve well in water.

My best paper so far is simply a catalog from these guys:

The paper is too thin to get safely through the printer, but I simply tape it to a sheet of normal printer paper.

You won't find this company in the UK, but start trying different stuff. It does not matter if it is printed, in fact, it may be an advantage, as the surface may be even smoother.

I don't preheat the board. I position the paper by cutting 2 sides of the print and aligning it the the board edge for double side. hold the pattern to a strong light so you can see when the pads match up, then while holding them together tightly - trim at least one end or best 2 edges of the pattern so when you lay them on the board you can match the edges up with the edge of the board. I use a solid wood surface to lay board on and heat it with iron. let the board get heated well and the pattern will stick to it. While the board is very hot, I then lay a wood dowel on the pattern and press roll it across the pattern to ensure it all contacts well. That is the one critical step is enough heat and solid contact to the copper. Jtt

schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Rob,

I experimented with several types of paper as well but to find out that the printer is very important. With my Laserjet 4Si I got no good coverage regargless what paper I used. When I had - halas for a short time - access to a Laserjet 5 the cheapest local available glossy jetprinter photopaper (no brand) worked perfectly. What printer are you using?

petrsu bitbyter

I've heard that if you can get a good solid black from an inkjet, that you could print the artwork and Xerox it. I've heard that their toner is very reliable, albeit you still have the paper issue.

Good Luck! Rich

The Staples paper (in the US) works great for me, but you have to soak it a long time before removing it from the copper. I've found the following:

• the copper must be clean, clean, clean! use Copper cleaner

• after cleaning, wash it with brillo in circular strokes or steel wool it, then wash.

• dry well, then immediately apply the artwork (no tarnishing)

• iron with heavy pressure for 5 minutes

• soak the completed copper/paper "sandwitch" a long time - at least 1/2 hour.

I'd bet if you do the above, and if your laser printer covers well, you'll get good results. I can't believe the Staples paper would be different US vs UK. If you are already following the procedure, I'd suspect the printer before the paper.

Ed

Yes, absolutely. Copper-Brite does a good job with a green kitchen potscrubber.

No, PLEASE. The copper cleaner with a water wash is perfect. Anything else will contaminate the surface.

It helps to ever so slightly warm the copper in a toaster oven set on low for a couple of minutes.

... on the highest setting of the iron.

Or soak in really hot water for about five minutes, or as long as it takes for your hands to be able to soak in the water without burning.

Jim

That might eliminate the steel wool step - great!

Yes PLEASE - at least for me. Works great and does not contaminate. The brillo soap is washed off. But if the kitchen potscrubber works in place of the steel wool, then the brillo/steel wool step is not needed at all.

Never thought of that - thanks! Sounds good.

Yes! I should have said that.

I've not had success with that. I soak it in water that is too hot to leave your hands in, but maybe it's not hot enough? I believe the water is 140 F - at least that's what I think the water heater produces. Maybe I need hotter?

In any event, I've got to try the potscrubber. It will be nice to save a step. On the toaster oven - when you take the blank out, is it too hot to handle, or just a little bit less hot?

Thanks, Ed

It will be just a little above the temperature you could achieve by putting the board outside in the shade on a really hot summer's day. All you are trying to achieve is to (a) be sure it is bone dry and (b) give the toner plastic just a little head start at gripping the surface of the copper.

Jim

...

...

I use blue Press-n-Peel rather than paper, not having had particularly good luck with paper, but you still might find some of the techniques at

of interest, eg, wrapping the board and film in aluminum foil before ironing.

-jiw

I don't know what "blue Press-n-Peel" is, but I assume it's something that you stick to the copper and peel the backing.

How do you get the pattern onto it?

Thanks, Rich

On Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:21:09 -0700, RST Engineering (jw) top-posted:

Jim, don't top-post. It disturbes the natural flow of the thread. Thanks.

Can that be done double-sided, with any kind of reasonable registry?

Thanks, Rich

Polyplastic with a powder coating. It's easier to sepatate from the board than is paper. About $2 a sheet.

Same as with clay-coated paper.

As JeffM implied, laser-print the traces onto the Press-n-Peel, then ironing transfer step. The first few photos at my link above show how I use a small piece of Press-n-Peel rather than printing the whole sheet at a time, so cost per circuit is low. Also see manufacturer's site

-jiw

My experience is that it is much more difficult. When the completed pattern is done on the first side, drill the through holes and use them as alignment guides. Also outline marks have been useful. Nor does this give you through hole plating.

--
 JosephKK
 Gegen dummheit kampfen die Gotter Selbst, vergebens.  
  --Schiller

What kind of tape do you use?

Ken Muldrew snipped-for-privacy@ucalgazry.ca (remove all letters after y in the alphabet)

Usually, ordinary "invisible" cellotape, like Scotch Magic. I only tape across the leading edge - not along the sides or trailing edge. It's visible in the top right corner of

.

-jiw