So, I think I'm going to etch a few PCB's and I've got the materials and procedure down....but my frugal nature has left me with a question!
The sheet of paper I'm printing on is 8.5" x 11" and the PCB layout is much smaller. How can I get maximum usage out of my sheet of paper?
Thanks!
Chris
decide the next 8 projects you are going to build? :) are you using photo paper or PnP Blue?
this is a good photoessay about the printing/iron-on process. it also has tips on how to get the most use out of the paper. this is exactly how i do it everytime:
http://www.tonepad.com/photoessay.asp?photoEssayID=10&sequenceNo=1 (http://www.tonepad.com/photoessay.asp?photoEssayID=10&sequenceNo=1)
and here's the continuation into the actual etching. again, the same way i do it:
http://www.tonepad.com/photoessay.asp?photoEssayID=11&sequenceNo=1 (http://www.tonepad.com/photoessay.asp?photoEssayID=11&sequenceNo=1)
I'm using photo paper. Found a similar procedure here- http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg/gooteepc.htm
also has interesting alternative to Ferric Chloride.
So, let's say I decide to print a full sheet of PCB layouts....what software should I use to arrange and size them so they print correctly?
Thanks again!
Chris
Any image editing software should surfice.
ie: windows paint, paintshop pro, photoshop, coral draw etc etc.
I use paintshop pro.
Just make sure you do test prints on plain paper first to make sure you've got the scale right.
By the way when I make layouts from the templates from GGG I print then at about 25%.
pyrop ;D
Quote from: greenacarina on November 10, 2006, 12:56:34 AM
also has interesting alternative to Ferric Chloride.
rightly so, ferric chloride is a mess to dispose of.
Try
For 1L:
750ml H2O water
200ml HCL hydrochloric acid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrochloric_acid
50ml H2O2 hydrogen peroxide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H2O2
I've tried making pcbs with photo paper and this formula, works perfectly (http://modman.blogdrive.com/archive/20.html)
zj
Great page! The pics are helpful and your directions are excellent. I'm organizing some layouts now and getting ready to print.
Thanks for all the help.
Chris
Wow! What a clusterfu*k! I got all my PCB layouts sized (are they supposed to appear "backward" when I print them?), got the layouts onto an 8.5" x 11" "canvas", went to do a test print on some regular paper....and somehow this thing is printing across 4 pages (even though it looks fine on my screen). The size of each individual layout is OK, just won't put them all on one page! Grrr. ???
it sounds like something to do with how the document is set up (page setup menu) compared to the printer. make sure both are set to either "portrait" or "landscape".
what software did you decide on?
Quote from: choklitlove on November 10, 2006, 07:52:34 PM
it sounds like something to do with how the document is set up (page setup menu) compared to the printer. make sure both are set to either "portrait" or "landscape".
what software did you decide on?
Did the re-sizing with Photoshop and tried to print with MS Paint. (computer with Photoshop won't print to the laser printer, so sent the file to a different computer on the network)
Quote from: greenacarina on November 10, 2006, 08:26:02 PM
Quote from: choklitlove on November 10, 2006, 07:52:34 PM
it sounds like something to do with how the document is set up (page setup menu) compared to the printer. make sure both are set to either "portrait" or "landscape".
what software did you decide on?
Did the re-sizing with Photoshop and tried to print with MS Paint. (computer with Photoshop won't print to the laser printer, so sent the file to a different computer on the network)
Eureka! After fiddling with some of the print settings I got everything to print OK! These things look a little small to me, but I compared my ruler measurements with the scale along the edge of each image and they appear to match. I guess it's on to the next step.
Chris
don't be afraid to match up an opamp or a resister spacing to check your sizes..