Photo paper pcb score at walmart.

[TryingToDo613]

Hi guys. Just wanted to let you know that on a whim I bought some "JetprintPhoto" from International Paper at walmart. It's the "Everyday" photo paper, Soft Gloss, not the more expensive one. I printed a pdf from a lazer printer (yes it's always got little white flecks in the traces no matter what I do), ironed it hard on heat setting right at the beginning of the steam settings, put in in regular water for about 5 minutes and whala (is that how you spell that?) the paper peeled right off leaving just the traces with NO effort at all. I don't see that pnp could be any easier, and you don't have to wait for some occasionally reliable and mostly not company shipping them to you in a timely manner, as I am right now. -ph

[Mark Hammer]

(it's voila / pronounced v-wah-LAH) :wink:

Photo paper works great for some layouts, but is not high enough resolution for others.  My own personal criteria are that if there are more than 2 traces running between the two sides of a DIP, or if there are traces running between the pins of a DIP, I will not use photo paper.  There are obviously other scenarios beyond these, but I mention them to give you an idea that some layouts offer much more than enough space between traces and pads such that the limited resolution of photo paper is not a problem, while others really need something a little more precise.  In some cases, PnP is really called for, and in other cases, you need something even more precise than that

Still, thank goodness for the fact that photo paper WILL work.  It's nice to be able to print off way more than you need so that when a buddy drops by you can say "Here's a layout for pedals X, Y, and Z.  Give 'em a whirl if the mood strikes you.", without feeling like you've given away your last cigarette.  I managed to find some very glossy stuff at the dollar store that sells for $1/10 sheets.  Doesn't get a whole lot cheaper than that.

[Yun]

i'm confused, man.  How do you get copper traces out of paper eh?  :?

[Mark Hammer]

Glossy photo paper has an emulsion/layer that can be used to transfer toner images to bare copper board for etching, the same way that press-n-peel methods do.  Just not as high quality, but often good enough quality.  I've written tons of posts on it here.  Search the archives.

[TryingToDo613]

There is a ton of posts with links here. Basically you are making a reverse image mask that you stick to a plain sheet of copper that is bonded to a piece of fiberglass. Then you put the whole banana in like an acid bath you can buy at radio shack, and in about ten minutes you pull it out, wash it off and all that's left of the copper is what you masked off. Then you wash your mask off with acetone and viola!  (you see I learned how to spell that) you have your traces nice and clean and neat left in the copper.

Then you drill your holes where they go, trying not to lift the copper pads, and attach your stuff. Then you can be reminded in a very nice sounding way how pitiful a guitar player you really are. -ph

[bierdo70]

Just a quick question.

I tried this method on the weekend with some thick glossy photo-paper.
printed the pcb image onto it with a laser printer.
I cleaned my copper board with a scourer. Then taped the pcb printout onto the copper clad board with two bits of masking tape.
Then I used my iron turned to flatout with lots of pressure (probably for 2+minutes) to transfer the image to the board.

I then put it in soapy warm water for 20-30 mins.

The paper softened but I had a real hard time getting the paper off the board without pulling off the traces, and even when I had most of it off I still had white paper stuck on the board inbetween the traces!!

I thought this would be a bit easier from everyone's descriptions.

Anyway the transferred images are unusable, and I'm going to have to start from scratch again.

Am I doing something wrong?? :?

Can someone please help me here.

Cheers

Sean

[TryingToDo613]

Saw your other post. I would say it's the paper. I have had minor issues with spots not adhering (which is a cleaning issue) but the paper comes off easy. -ph