Homebrew PCBs

I know this has been mentioned before but I think it bears 
repeating.  I have been using pages from Time magazine. Run it 
through the laser printer like normal paper, transfer like normal, 
etc.  Washes off pretty easily but the only "problem" I have found 
is that the ink also transfers - sometimes.

If the ink transfers, it will resist the ferric chloride etching - 
even in my super-charged bubbler tank. 

With the last 10 boards or so that I have done this way, all were 
good.  A few had lifted spots on the flood fills - touched up with a 
sharpie.  A few had some speckles in the area that should have been 
etched but were not as caused by the ink transfering.

Otherwise, I find this easier to work with than any of the ink-jet 
papers I have tried so far.  The price is great too.

For references, the smallest trace width I do is .012", never had a 
bad trace yet. Strangly, the traces always seem to come out better 
than the flood fill areas.

Just thought I would share my latest efforts.

Chris

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:33:21 +0200, lcdpublishing  
<lcdpublishing@...> wrote:

> Strangly, the traces always seem to come out better
> than the flood fill areas.


This is because laser printers can not really print large black areas.
Hold a printout against a light..

You could crosshatch the areas if it is a big problem.

ST

It's not a "problem" as much as it is a curiosity.  Like I say, I 
can fill in the spots quickly with a sharpie - only takes a couple 
seconds. 

It is interesting though that the "flood" fill with lasers and 
the "Flood" fill with Ink Jets is a shared attribute to be dealt 
with.




--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Stefan Trethan" 
<stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
>
> On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:33:21 +0200, lcdpublishing  
> <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
> 
> > Strangly, the traces always seem to come out better
> > than the flood fill areas.
> 
> 
> This is because laser printers can not really print large black 
areas.

> Hold a printout against a light..
> 
> You could crosshatch the areas if it is a big problem.
> 
> ST
>

On 7/31/06, Stefan Trethan <stefan_trethan@...> wrote:
> On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 00:33:21 +0200, lcdpublishing
> <lcdpublishing@...> wrote:
>
> > Strangly, the traces always seem to come out better
> > than the flood fill areas.
>
> This is because laser printers can not really print large black areas.
> Hold a printout against a light..

Sorry to get a bit off topic, but why is that?

>> It is interesting though that the "flood" fill with lasers and
>> the "Flood" fill with Ink Jets is a shared attribute to be dealt
>> with.

And what's with flood fill with inkjets?

- Jan

On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 19:00:26 +0200, Jan Kok <jan.kok.5y@...> wrote:

>
>> This is because laser printers can not really print large black areas.
>> Hold a printout against a light..
> Sorry to get a bit off topic, but why is that?

I think it's to do with the static things.
If you have a thin line the static can pull in more toner from the edges i  
suppose, while a large area only gets what's right under..
I'm not sure if that's why, but i'm very sure that it is happening with  
any laser i ever tried.

It's also why silicone paper never worked completely for me, the printer  
just has not enough print density. The paper residue with clay paper is  
just enough to give that little more protection to make it work.

>
>>> It is interesting though that the "flood" fill with lasers and
>>> the "Flood" fill with Ink Jets is a shared attribute to be dealt
>>> with.
> And what's with flood fill with inkjets?

I wouldn't know. Maybe he was referring to more difficulty with large  
areas in direct inkjet, but the printer should print with the same density  
in fill areas.

ST

Correct, I was referring to the problems of puddling on the PCBs when 
printing with ink jets.



> > And what's with flood fill with inkjets?
> 
> I wouldn't know. Maybe he was referring to more difficulty with 
large  
> areas in direct inkjet, but the printer should print with the same 
density  

> in fill areas.
> 
> ST
>

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Stefan Trethan" <stefan_trethan@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 01, 2006 6:26 PM
Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Been having some very good results from very 
cheap paper.


> On Tue, 01 Aug 2006 19:00:26 +0200, Jan Kok <jan.kok.5y@...> wrote:
>
>>
>>> This is because laser printers can not really print large black areas.
>>> Hold a printout against a light..
>> Sorry to get a bit off topic, but why is that?
>
> I think it's to do with the static things.
> If you have a thin line the static can pull in more toner from the edges i
> suppose, while a large area only gets what's right under..
> I'm not sure if that's why, but i'm very sure that it is happening with
> any laser i ever tried.
>
> It's also why silicone paper never worked completely for me, the printer
> just has not enough print density. The paper residue with clay paper is
> just enough to give that little more protection to make it work.
>
>>
>>>> It is interesting though that the "flood" fill with lasers and
>>>> the "Flood" fill with Ink Jets is a shared attribute to be dealt
>>>> with.
>> And what's with flood fill with inkjets?
>
> I wouldn't know. Maybe he was referring to more difficulty with large
> areas in direct inkjet, but the printer should print with the same density
> in fill areas.

My HP 5940 (inkjet) is OK with large areas. I usually crosshatch them, 
though, to save ink.

Leon