Homebrew PCBs

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, William Carr <Jkirk3279@...> wrote:
>
> Okay, next stupid question from the newbie:
> 
> 
> Why are ya'll using Epson printers?   They use water-based inks.     
> Other manufacturers use alcohol-based inks.

Like who? All desktop printer inks that I'm aware of use water,
alcohol, and glycol as their solvent. Constraints of not drying in the
head, drying quickly on the paper, not spreading too much in the paper
while drying, etc.

> Is it a matter of solubility?
> 
> Ideally, you want the ink to be laid down, dry, and ready for the  
> etching as fast as possible.
> 
> Alcohol based ink dries faster, IIRC.
> 
> Has there been much thought about what inks are least soluble in the  
> etching solution?
> 
> I recall some mention of Magic Mix ink, but it's water based too.

Magic Mix is a couple of varieties of MIS pigmented inks, don't know
which ones.

Are you thinking of solvent or eco-solvent inks? Those have nastier
solvents than just alcohol, and at issue is the ink solvent attacking
plastics in the printers. Christian of Primjet says it's possible in
Epson desktop printers, but talks about changing out parts like the
park station to one made of something resistant to the solvents and
then still having to remove the cartridges and flush the system after
printing is done for the day!

I've been very interested in some of the eco-solvent inks.
Unfortunately I cannot get small sample quantitites to try. Primjet
has them, but the language barrier seems too high as I'd asked
Christian about several of their inks, and although he did very
generously send some dye sub for bubblejet for me to try, I didn't
seem to be able to get him to understand that I was more interested in
some of the other inks they carry.

And before anyone gives in to the temptation to tell a Polish joke,
keep in mind how hard the Poles fought in WWII and how bravely the
Polish Resistance fought, and that my wife's ancestors were Polish.
And keep the racist jokes to yourself.

Steve Greenfield

PS for those following threads, and for the aid of future members
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