Homebrew PCBs

I just thought of an different way to make PCBs with an inkjet printer that 
might be worth trying. Instead of using special ink printed onto the copper, 
which is then cured, how about coating a standard resist-coated board with 
gelatine, as is done with with inkjet transparency material? This will then 
accept a standard ink, and the artwork can be printed directly onto the 
gelatine surface. The board is then exposed to UV light in the usual way, 
and the gelatine and ink washed off in hot water. The board is then etched 
in the usual way. Very fine line widths and good definition should be 
obtainable, because the artwork is only separated from the resist by the 
gelatine.

I feel that the technique could work, and could give very good results.

Leon
--
Leon Heller, G1HSM
SV1000S motorcycle
leon.heller@...
http://www.geocities.com/leon_heller

On Sun, 27 Aug 2006 15:25:37 +0200, Leon Heller  
<leon.heller@...> wrote:

> I feel that the technique could work, and could give very good results.
> Leon


Yes, but if we wanted to use the photoprocess we would kinda use the  
photoprocess not find ways not to use it...

ST

Leon, 
	As you probably realize if you print on transparency material 
the image needs to be reversed so that the Ink can be in direct contact 
with the photosensitive coating on a board. Otherwise the thickness of 
the transparency material allows light to leak around the edges of the 
image, resulting in "undercutting " of the image. Wouldn't a gelatin 
coating produce the same type of "light path" under the ink image? How 
do you propose to evenly apply a gelatin coating THIN enough to avoid 
this? Have you had the opportunity to test the process?

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

From: "scratch_6057" <dml.empsrch@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2006 4:35 PM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: A differen direct inkjet printingtechnique for 
making PCBs


> Leon,
> As you probably realize if you print on transparency material
> the image needs to be reversed so that the Ink can be in direct contact
> with the photosensitive coating on a board. Otherwise the thickness of
> the transparency material allows light to leak around the edges of the
> image, resulting in "undercutting " of the image. Wouldn't a gelatin
> coating produce the same type of "light path" under the ink image? How
> do you propose to evenly apply a gelatin coating THIN enough to avoid
> this? Have you had the opportunity to test the process?

That could be a problem, but the gelatine could probably be made thin 
enough. I don't have a suitable printer to test it.

Leon

But if you are using photo process, it's so much easier to just print
onto transparency or vellum, compared to modifying a printer to accept
a PCB.

Steve Greenfield

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Leon Heller" <leon.heller@...>
wrote:
>
> I just thought of an different way to make PCBs with an inkjet
printer that 
> might be worth trying. Instead of using special ink printed onto the
copper, 
> which is then cured, how about coating a standard resist-coated
board with 
> gelatine, as is done with with inkjet transparency material? This
will then 
> accept a standard ink, and the artwork can be printed directly onto the 
> gelatine surface. The board is then exposed to UV light in the usual
way, 
> and the gelatine and ink washed off in hot water. The board is then
etched 
> in the usual way. Very fine line widths and good definition should be 
> obtainable, because the artwork is only separated from the resist by
the 

> gelatine.
> 
> I feel that the technique could work, and could give very good results.