Homebrew PCBs

Hi all,

I have an ink jet printer which is old and sometimes works and often 
does not. It needs to be replaced. Its successor will be used in my home 
office (business) as well as for making PCB's (hobby).

With respect to the PCB application, are there occasions when color 
printing would be useful or perhaps necessary? I realize that the toner 
transfer method needs only black on white and that a monocolor printer 
would suffice for that activity, but do you find times when color 
printing of other whatever makes life easier? Just looking for some 
thoughts from those of you with experience I have not yet acquired.

I ask from the perspective that while my home office printing needs are 
predominantly monocolor, color printing would be useful once in a while. 
If the same is true for making PCB's, I will consider spending the extra 
dollars for a color laser printer.

Thoughts or advice?

Steve K8JQ

-- 
Read The Patriot   It's Right -- It's Free
http://PatriotPost.US/subscribe/ Veritas vos Liberabit

You can toner transfer any color you want onto the board *after* you
etch it to make a silkscreen layer :-)

But I find that a color laser (I have an HP 2550N) is really handy -
color coded schematics and board layouts, colored maps from google,
etc.  You won't regret it.  For business use, spot colors (i.e. color
just one header, or a logo) can be very effective.

DJ Delorie wrote:
> You can toner transfer any color you want onto the board *after* you
> etch it to make a silkscreen layer :-)
> 
> But I find that a color laser (I have an HP 2550N) is really handy -
> color coded schematics and board layouts, colored maps from google,
> etc.  You won't regret it.  For business use, spot colors (i.e. color
> just one header, or a logo) can be very effective.

Do colour toner cartridges cost much more than mono ones?

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Russell Shaw <rjshaw@...> wrote:
> 
> Do colour toner cartridges cost much more than mono ones?
>

They can. I would recommend checking out the cost of cartridges before buying any laser printer -- or ink jet printer, for that matter. Also, check to see what other costs there are -- some designs (maybe all??) require periodic replacement of other parts in addition to the toner cartridges.

One other point to consider -- laser color does not do nearly as good a job on pictures (photos) as inkjet. If you are wanting to print photos, stick with the ink jet. OTOH, if you are wanting to jazz up brochures, letter head, etc., or to get color coding on schematics, a laser would be great.

Russell Shaw <rjshaw@...> writes:
> Do colour toner cartridges cost much more than mono ones?

The 2550N has separate cartridges for each color, so you only have to
replace what you need.  They're about $90 each and are good for 4,000
pages.  To give you an idea how long they last - the "low toner" alert
came on last August, so I bought toner for when it was empty.  I still
haven't swapped them out.

"awakephd" <a_wake@...> writes:
> One other point to consider -- laser color does not do nearly as
> good a job on pictures (photos) as inkjet.

The Epson R280 I use for UV photomasks also does fantastic photos.

I'm in the uk and was at a carboot sale, like a garage sale but lots of people in a field.

When everyone packed up and went home left behind was a hp4550n, i guess due to its size and weight, but its a laser and does all my photo work now, the inkjet is in the attic. 

-original message-

Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] 
> One other point to consider -- laser color does not do nearly as
> good a job on pictures (photos) as inkjet.

The Epson R280 I use for UV photomasks also does fantastic photos.


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Thanks DJ and others for the advice. I'm leaning toward a color printer.

Another question I should have posed in my initial posting: Some 
printers have what is referred to as a "straight through" feed. This is 
evidently a less tortuous path than the normal route of paper through 
the printer. Is the straight through feed something to be desired? 
Especially with the Press-n-Peel Blue, where I understand the paper is a 
carrier and the Press-n-Peel Blue is taped to it? I've not used either a 
straight through feed or the Press-n-Peel Blue material, advice appreciated.

Steve K8JQ

DJ Delorie wrote:
> You can toner transfer any color you want onto the board *after* you
> etch it to make a silkscreen layer :-)
>
> But I find that a color laser (I have an HP 2550N) is really handy -
> color coded schematics and board layouts, colored maps from google,
> etc.  You won't regret it.  For business use, spot colors (i.e. color
> just one header, or a logo) can be very effective.
>   
-- 
Read The Patriot   It's Right -- It's Free
http://PatriotPost.US/subscribe/ Veritas vos Liberabit

Steve <steve65@...> writes:
> Another question I should have posed in my initial posting: Some 
> printers have what is referred to as a "straight through" feed.

I only buy printers with straight-through feed.  I use it for thicker
stock, envelopes, forms, and TT paper.  The 2550N has straight-though
feed.

Hi!

I have a hp laserjet 2100! I found it in craigslist for $25 . I did a test yesterday and 
I printed 10,12,15,17and 20 mil traces onto HP presentation paper!

I  used a iron to transfer this to the copper clad! ALL traces transfered 
intact to the copper! The traces look good ,But I did'nt etch them.

I ordered a 10x loupe on eBay so that I can examine the traces in detail. 
They look very good at 4x so far with my other magnifier!

Some have said that the HP 1005 and 1006 do a very nice job..

But the 2100 seems ok for the price!
73
Mike WB2LCW




________________________________

From: Steve <steve65@...>
To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 2:32:57 AM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Laser printer -- mono or color?





Hi all,

I have an ink jet printer which is old and sometimes works and often 
does not. It needs to be replaced. Its successor will be used in my home 
office (business) as well as for making PCB's (hobby).

With respect to the PCB application, are there occasions when color 
printing would be useful or perhaps necessary? I realize that the toner 
transfer method needs only black on white and that a monocolor printer 
would suffice for that activity, but do you find times when color 
printing of other whatever makes life easier? Just looking for some 
thoughts from those of you with experience I have not yet acquired.

I ask from the perspective that while my home office printing needs are 
predominantly monocolor, color printing would be useful once in a while. 
If the same is true for making PCB's, I will consider spending the extra 
dollars for a color laser printer.

Thoughts or advice?

Steve K8JQ

-- 
Read The Patriot It's Right -- It's Free
http://PatriotPost. US/subscribe/ Veritas vos Liberabit




[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Press-n-peel Blue works just fine in a conventional (non-straight) path laser printer..  I have run 100's through an HP 1010.

I certainly don't use a carrier with it, just put it in the paper tray.

but a straight path is desirable for other reasons..

Chris

--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Steve <steve65@...> wrote:

>
> Thanks DJ and others for the advice. I'm leaning toward a color printer.
> 
> Another question I should have posed in my initial posting: Some 
> printers have what is referred to as a "straight through" feed. This is 
> evidently a less tortuous path than the normal route of paper through 
> the printer. Is the straight through feed something to be desired? 
> Especially with the Press-n-Peel Blue, where I understand the paper is a 
> carrier and the Press-n-Peel Blue is taped to it? I've not used either a 
> straight through feed or the Press-n-Peel Blue material, advice appreciated.
> 
> Steve K8JQ
> 
> DJ Delorie wrote:
> > You can toner transfer any color you want onto the board *after* you
> > etch it to make a silkscreen layer :-)
> >
> > But I find that a color laser (I have an HP 2550N) is really handy -
> > color coded schematics and board layouts, colored maps from google,
> > etc.  You won't regret it.  For business use, spot colors (i.e. color
> > just one header, or a logo) can be very effective.
> >   
> -- 
> Read The Patriot   It's Right -- It's Free
> http://PatriotPost.US/subscribe/ Veritas vos Liberabit
>