inkjet transfer onto a pcb

[sid]

Having had several failed attempts at making my own pcb's over the years and recently having watched several videos on youtube showing the technique for printing the design onto glossy photo paper and then ironing the paper/design onto the copper board I thought I'd give it another go, only to fail miserably yet again in that the design did not transfer from the paper onto the board at all!
I know this is not a directly picaxe related question but it is a picaxe circuit that I'm trying to create onto pcb.
Can anyone offer any suggestions or advice. or better still a company that will print the dam thing for me for a "small" fee.

 

[Mycroft2152]

Sid,

inkjets will not work. You need a laser printer with toner. The toner will melt and re-fuse onto the copper

Also, forget about inkjet printing on copper pcbs. The ink is not designed to stick to copper and the etchants will dissolve the ink. Is it possible, yes, but under very specific conditions and not very repeatable.


Toner Transfer is very dependent on the brand of toner used.

I've made successful pcbs using the Toner Transfer process with "photocopies" done at my local Staples Office store done on glossy paper. Works well!

When printing at home on my Samsung M2010, I use the thinnest, shiniest magazine paper that I can find. The Samsung is only marginal for Toner Transfer. You can barely get a dark enough print and the toner needs a lot of heat to fuse. Not recommended.

Myc

 

[Andrew Cowan]

I use a free program called LJConfig - lets you adjust the amount of toner and heating of HP printers.

Print using no heat (doesn't stick the toner to the paper), then iron on to the board. Seems to work well.

 

[MartinM57]

This works very well for me (and others)..

- inkjet onto transparency film
- home made UV exposure box (50 ebay UV LEDs)
- photosensitive PCB
- normal etching process

I can make double sided PCs like this with:
- a trace running between the 0.1" pads of an IC without getting anywhere near the pads
- no discernible registration errors between each side - a hole through a pad on one side comes right out in the centre of the pad on the other side.

Plenty of instructions all over the 'net on how to do it

 

[Andrew Cowan]

Laser print onto acetate.
Small 'fly killer' UV tube for the UV exposure (seems more even in my experience).
Etch using a sponge for physical erosion (with ferric chloride)

Alternativly laser print onto tracing paper (no toner heat), then iron onto a bare board.

A

 

[sid]

This works very well for me (and others)..

- inkjet onto transparency film
- home made UV exposure box (50 ebay UV LEDs)
- photosensitive PCB
- normal etching process

I can make double sided PCs like this with:
- a trace running between the 0.1" pads of an IC without getting anywhere near the pads
- no discernible registration errors between each side - a hole through a pad on one side comes right out in the centre of the pad on the other side.

Plenty of instructions all over the 'net on how to do it

Thanks all for the suggestions,
I don't have a laser printer so I guess Might give Martin's idea a go
Cheers, Sid

 

[picnut]

There is another possibility that I am looking at to make PCB's in quantity for schools. Screen printing has always been used for the artwork printed onto the PCB, but for some reason I have never seen tracks and pads printed that way. I contacted a local printer and he said that if he can print bar codes using the screen method, then tracks and pads, would not be a problem.

picnut