Magazine paper transfers

[mremic01]

I've been messing around with different ways to get a good transfer and here's what I've found:

Magazine papers tends to work ok. The best transfers I get are with Walgreen's inkjet glossy photo paper. I tried HP laser photo paper and the toner wouldn't even fuse to it. The Walgreen's paper also doesn't need to get rubbed off like the magazine paper.

I don't even need to sand the copper or the enclosures. The Walgreen's paper sticks to it as is. It really seems to like Tayda's enclosures more than other brands. I do wipe it down with rubbing alcohol to clean it first though.

The iron seems work best on the cotton setting. Linen gets too hot and melts the toner so much that it smudges. Too much pressure and it seems like the toner also gets reabsorbed into the paper. Not enough and it doesn't stick to the copper/aluminum.

Every time I've used water to cool it down, the mask just comes off with the paper. The best results I've had have been leaving everything alone for 20-30 minutes until the metal is room temperature and then peeling off the paper.

[stringsthings]

I bought a set of Drill bits from Ace their #61 to #80 for like $8.

thanks for the tip ... the local Ace carries wire gauge bits also

[therecordingart]

I've been messing around with different ways to get a good transfer and here's what I've found:

Magazine papers tends to work ok. The best transfers I get are with Walgreen's inkjet glossy photo paper. I tried HP laser photo paper and the toner wouldn't even fuse to it. The Walgreen's paper also doesn't need to get rubbed off like the magazine paper.

I don't even need to sand the copper or the enclosures. The Walgreen's paper sticks to it as is. It really seems to like Tayda's enclosures more than other brands. I do wipe it down with rubbing alcohol to clean it first though.

The iron seems work best on the cotton setting. Linen gets too hot and melts the toner so much that it smudges. Too much pressure and it seems like the toner also gets reabsorbed into the paper. Not enough and it doesn't stick to the copper/aluminum.

Every time I've used water to cool it down, the mask just comes off with the paper. The best results I've had have been leaving everything alone for 20-30 minutes until the metal is room temperature and then peeling off the paper.

Which laser printer do you use?

[mremic01]

I've got a Brother HL-2140. I'm still on the original toner cartridge too. I just got two perfect transfers with the Walgreen inkjet paper a few minutes ago and they're sitting in ferric chloride right now.

[add4]

i found out that placing a hard flat surface under the pcb really helps getting the corners and edges transferred right during transfer.
my iron table is soft and the pcb would move under the ironing pressure on the edges. now i put a whole copper board on the iron table, i pu the pcb on it and iron like that.
i get good results with almost any magazine paper. except for 2 things: sometimes when i iron, the paper slides on the pcb because of the pressure .. and everything is ruined. i also seem to have paper sticking to the toner once i removed the paper and i have to manually remove residual paper from some to be etched areas.
acetone works very well for removing transfer if it wasn't good.

[deadastronaut]

sometimes when i iron, the paper slides on the pcb because of the pressure .. and everything is ruined.

tape it in place. ..

[Pablo1234]

preheat the copper. no tape required.

[stringsthings]

preheat the copper. no tape required.

+1

[mremic01]

I would be concerned about dirtying the copper with the iron by preheating it. I guess you could wipe it down with alcohol or acetone before heating it up. But then if you don't get the paper lines up just perfectly the first time you lay it down...

I just arrange the paper the way I want it, then I lay the iron down flat on the paper and let it sit for about a minute before I start moving it around. If the iron surface isn't big enough to cover everything, I leave it on one side to anchor it down before I move it to the other side. Once everything is nice and stuck, then I move it back and forth and apply pressure.

The two or three times I tried preheating, the transfers didn't come out so well. But there may have been other factors involved.

[Pablo1234]

I do dual sided boards and getting everything lined up is critical, I preheat just ever so slightly with regular paper to the point that I can barley still touch the board. then I line the print jobs out onto the board. cutting the print job to size with a shear and makeing sure the board is cut properly, at 90 degrees at one corner.

[CodeMonk]

Lining up is the trickiest part of double-sided boards.

One thing I do is put 4 extra large solder pads outside the board on each layer.
I have the top pads a little closer together than the bottom pads so orientation is hard to mess up.

I usually iron one side on, applying less pressure and doing it for less time than I normally would.
I then peel away the paper in the corners and drill toothpick sized holes through the "alignment holes".
Toothpicks added.
Then carefully punch holes in the other alignment holes on the other trace print. Drop it over the toothpicks and make sure everything lines up.
Iron away.

That helps, but its still tricky. Drilling those first 4 holes properly is VERY critical.
As is punching the holes in the 2nd layer.
I have made my share of errors still.

Maybe if I had a cutter where I could get accurate 90 degree cuts, I could go your way.
My current way is very time consuming.

[MoltenVoltage]

I've got a Brother HL-2140. I'm still on the original toner cartridge too. I just got two perfect transfers with the Walgreen inkjet paper a few minutes ago and they're sitting in ferric chloride right now.

i have the same printer - beware of the toner scam - the toner cartridge will stop working when it's half full

put electrical tape over the optical sensor in the printer and get another 500 sheets

[Pablo1234]

yes a paper shear works great for 90 Deg cuts. I used to predrill my mounting holes I made a jig to stay consistant and I made a part in my library that had just the holes. it was more work though.

[chromesphere]

Hey dudes,  this is a tutorial i made about etching pcb's (magazine paper -> ammonium persulphate).  Its the indepth process of how i do it.  Thought it might help some people new to the subject.  Hope it helps.

DIY Guitar Pedal Tutorial 1 - Etch your own PCB (Print, Transfer, Etch)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBq1QKY5beQ&list=UUGhzS1GbX-yxyBrUJtnUMoA&index=14&feature=plcp

And if you need help with the drilling, cleaning etc:
DIY Guitar Pedal Tutorial 2 - Etch your own PCB (cleaning, testing, drilling)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcM6Ll7Og30&list=UUGhzS1GbX-yxyBrUJtnUMoA&index=13&feature=plcp

I'm not sure of the point of pnp.  I've only ever used magazine paper.  Its free...
Paul

[stringsthings]

thanks for making those videos ... i've got some very good ideas from youtube

[chromesphere]

Np stringsthings.  The process is pretty straightfoward, i would encourage anybody thinking about doing it to give it a shot.  I had successful results on my very first attempts.
Paul

[roseblood11]

toner transfer method described in german:
forum.musikding.de/vb/showpost.php?p=256983&postcount=36