Homebrew PCBs

thanks for the reply.  I dont think the toner smearing is due to 
movement of the paper.  the toner is getting blotchy - a straight 
line will have varying width but is still straight.  Nearby features 
will be fine.  If my wife ever gives me back MY digital camera, I'll 
post pix.  Its significantly better with the plate.  I've tried 
cutting down the toner (easy with the copier) but with only a little 
difference.  when I've used too much pressure, it really gets bad.  

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Alan King <alan@n...> wrote:
> Phil wrote:
> > One of the things that I've been having trouble with on toner 
> > transfer is smearing due to either incorrect pressure or too much 
> > heat.  My theory is that the smearing is happening because I have 
to 
> 
> 
>    Metal plates are not a bad idea and can make for more even 
results.  But the 
> iron can also work great by itself, holes and moving it shouldn't 
be a problem. 
>   Use the tip of the iron, and only tack down one corner of the 
print good 
> enough to stick well.  Using the tip work a diagonal line through 
the print, 
> then work out from the middle diagonal line to the other corners, 
then go back 
> over and give good heat and pressure to the whole board.  If you're 
doing the 
> whole iron at once at first, you're very likely not getting the 
toner stuck well 
> first and shifting things slightly while initially moving the 
iron.  You want to 
> work a good tacking in first without shifting anything, then get 
the good 
> transfer heat and pressure to get most of the toner on the board.
> 
>    And if you're not already doing it, you should run the print 
back through the 
> printer several times for the extra fusing before the transfer.  
Much improved 
> the results from my transfers.
> 
>    But it may still all be just thick toner from large particles, 
and you'll 
> probably never get everything consistent enough to always get the 
same results 
> from thick toner.  The range between too much heat and pressure and 
too little 
> is just too narrow with a large easy to smash particle.  Even with 
the metal 
> sheeting it may be hard to keep things consistent.
> 
>    I only ever really got OK results from previous attempts, never 
the good to 
> excellent that I since got from the 600 DPI printer.  I really need 
to go back 
> though and try the other techniques I now do with the other 
printer, and see how 
> much of the quality loss is really just the toner and resolution.  
I imagine 
> it's most of it though, good results came fast and easy on the 6L.
> 
> Alan