Acetate for Inkjet Printer...any recomendations? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: lavo-1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2012, 09:22:00 pm
content: I am taking my first foray into PCB printing and as I only have a HP ink-jet printer , I am hoping to get advise on what Acetate or Over Head Projector film I should buy to print my board lay outs on.Any help on this or general home-brew PCB manufacture would be welcomed.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2012, 10:32:19 pm
content: There's a good review/how to herehttp://www.electricstuff.co.uk/pcbs.html

author: amspire
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 29, 2012, 10:38:51 pm
content: The HP overhead transparency film for Ink jet printers would probably be a good start.Print in reverse so you can place the printed surface on the film against the PCB surface.Get two new sheets of glass from your local glass supplier big enough for the boards, and some dog clips from a stationary supplier. Use these to hold the film against the PCB. For double sided boards, line up the two transparencies and tape then to a thin strip of PCB offcut. Then to expose the board, slip the PCB between the films, place it between the glass sheets and clip it all together with the clips.At a pinch, you could try the method they used to suggest in Australian electronics magazines back before we had things like printers. Print on plain paper (the plainer the better) and wet the paper with cooking oil to make it translucent. They reckoned you could get enough UV through to expose the PCB, but I have to admit I never tried it - I never liked the idea of cutting up a magazine article of a project I was about to make. Has anyone else ever tried the paper soaked with oil method for making a PCB transparency?Richard.

author: lavo-1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2012, 08:51:00 pm
content: 8)Thank You Chaps, all the links where exactly what I was looking for.I just need to find a good drill stand for my Dremel and I am sorted

author: Fraser
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: March 01, 2012, 10:50:57 pm
content: I have tried various Ink-Jet printers and films but never achieved adequate black density for a successful PCB image.I have found laser printers far more reliable for making the layout mask provided you use the correct film...the wrong stuff melts and ruins your fixer roller !The joy of laser printers and photocopiers is that they lay down a relatively thick layer of opaque toner on the transparent substrate, Ink jets try to use as little ink as possible to avoid border creep and long drying times. The special absorbent layer on the ink jet film is very thin and cannot absorb very much ink. Dye based black ink is the worst type. Pigment black ink, as used by Canon for their "Main Black" cartridge is better but still not really good enough for reliable masking at UV lightbox intensity levels.One trick you can use if you don't want to buy a laser printer is to print the mask on photo paper using the inkjet printer, and then take it to a commercial copy shop and ask them to do an exact size copy onto clear film. It doesn't cost muchInkjets can produce excellent Black density on photo paper so it makes a good 'master' from which to make copies.Aurora

author: lavo-1
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: March 02, 2012, 09:16:13 am
content: I have watched a few instructional videos on how to do use a inkjet (you need to set the printer correctly) and I will print two copies of the layout and overlap them. Hopefully this will help with the ink density problem from inkjets.As soon as all my parts come I will let you know if it was a success or a disaster