Best way to copy multipe GGG layouts to one sheet of PNP/gloss paper?

[gbkd80]

Hi, first post here.

I've recently begin trying my hand at DIY PCB transfer and etching, which has a very satisfactory feeling when it works!  I've been working exclusively for now with GGG layouts.  My first build was a Ross Compressor which I did from scratch and it came out great and worked on the first shot...





(I did, however, forget to plan the enclosure better and wound up not leaving enough room for a battery so... eh.  It's a DC-powered pedal )

I do have experience with pedal building and board stuffing/soldering etc so none of this is really new to me, but the last time I etched my own board was like 15 years ago.  So I wanted to get back into it.  Right off the bat I went with the photo paper/laser toner transfer method to A) save money, and B) if it worked then cool, I don't have to buy PNP pape Klon replicar.  The layout above was done with Staples 4x6 photo paper, RadioShack PCB and etchant, and it took my 9 tries to get it right.  Needless to say it did work, but my next layout was the Klon replica, which I did with PNP and some nicer copper-clad boards from ABCFAB, and that came out much better looking, was super easy and now I know why most people don't mess around and just use the stuff that was designed to do it right...

My question is, especially when you are dealing with using PNP paper which effectively costs $2.50 a sheet, what is the best method for grabbing a layout from the GGG PDF file at the correct pixel ratio and getting it (and probably multiple) layouts onto one sheet of paper?  I'm sure it involves Photoshop or some editing software.  Before I was just sending 4x6 photo paper through and wasting it basically, but I got 60 sheets of that for what I paid for 5 sheets of the PNP, so... yeah.  Want to get my money's worth!

[peterg]

Welcome to the forum!

I use Inkscape to create layouts from scratch or to modify layouts. It would work for what you want to do.

https://inkscape.org/en/download/

[Buzz]

Hi,

I used smallbears DIY how to and it doesn't waste any PNP paper.

http://diy.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/DirectPCBoards/DirectPCBoards.htm

[davent]

Definitely second the Inkscape recommendation, easy to use and free, can import a pdf and modify it to your hearts content, long as it's not a locked image.

But... there's no need to print out a whole sheet each time you want a single board.

1. Pencil an 'X' in one of the exposed corners of the top sheet of printer paper in your printer.
2. Print the board to the marked printer paper.
3. Cut out a piece of your transfer paper slightly larger then the board you just printed.
4. Attach your transfer paper cut out overtop the board printout with the 'X" mark. Only attach the transfer paper along the leading edge and use very low tack tape or, i use a couple pieces of cut up Avery label.
5. Put the sheet back into the printer with 'x' oriented in it's original position.
6. Reprint

Transfer with no waste of the expensive stuff.

dave

[gbkd80]

Hi,

I used smallbears DIY how to and it doesn't waste any PNP paper.

http://diy.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/DirectPCBoards/DirectPCBoards.htm

That's perfect.. I was wondering how to accomplish this before and just figured it would get caught in the printer.  Do you guys usually set your paper type to "transparancy" when you use the PNP paper?  I did because it doesn't heat the fuser up as much therefore it's good for transparancies so it doesn't melt the film (I know, thank you Captain Obvious.. )

Definitely second the Inkscape recommendation, easy to use and free, can import a pdf and modify it to your hearts content, long as it's not a locked image.

But... there's no need to print out a whole sheet each time you want a single board.

1. Pencil an 'X' in one of the exposed corners of the top sheet of printer paper in your printer.
2. Print the board to the marked printer paper.
3. Cut out a piece of your transfer paper slightly larger then the board you just printed.
4. Attach your transfer paper cut out overtop the board printout with the 'X" mark. Only attach the transfer paper along the leading edge and use very low tack tape or, i use a couple pieces of cut up Avery label.
5. Put the sheet back into the printer with 'x' oriented in it's original position.
6. Reprint

Transfer with no waste of the expensive stuff.

dave

Thanks Dave.  When you say you use pieces of cut up Avery labels, do you mean instead of laying out double-sided tape you just tack down the edges of the PNP paper with small strips of tape (labels)?  I'd feel way more confident sending a job through my printer that way than with double-sided tape personally; seems like there is much more chance for something to catch...

[davent]

I just use a few tiny pieces over top the leading edge. Very low tack tape or sticker so if it were to come off, which it never has, they can easily be peeled out of the printer. Doing it like this since early this century. Avery labels i cut in half are 1" x 3/4".

dave

[Mark Hammer]

I just print out a couple of copies of whatever I want to make a board for (in case I screw up the ironing), cut them out, arrange them on an 8-1/2x11 sheet to stuff the most in with the least blank space, tape it down with matte clear tape, and photocopy the whole thing onto a PnP or photo paper sheet.