Homebrew PCBs

Okay so I'm giving this a try and thought I'd share for others who found
themselves in my situation.

 

I am doing reproductions of vintage TV Typewriter boards and was
disappointed to find there was no easy way to make a white silkscreen for
parts placement labelling.  I tried the WhiteTRF stuff that you iron on top
of black toner that has been transferred to PCB, but could never make it
work.  I also looked at having actual silkscreens made by a company in the
US.  $70, plus paint cost and other tools.  Messy, and I'd have to keep
making new ones for any other boards I wished to reproduce.

 

So then I looked at white laser toner, figuring somebody must have come up
with something for this sort of purpose.   They had, but the printers
involved were $3000+.  But I kept hunting.  Now I've found these guys:

 

http://www.ghost-white-toner.com/?lang=en

 

So basically I got my hands on a Laserjet Color 200 Pro for $49.  The toner
is $149CDN + shipping, and I've ordered.  It's coming from Europe so it'll
be a while, but this toner appears to have been designed specifically with
transfer in mind, including to materials like plastic.  I'm not sure which
cartridge in a color printer it replaces, but if it works.. wow.. then I can
pretty much make silkscreens for any board I choose to reproduce.  Easily.
The toner is expensive but I imagine it would probably do a ton of boards
given how little is actually used.

 

Anyway, I'll be receiving both items soon and will post my results here for
those interested.


Brad