cheap ways to make PCBs

[brianisgood]

I've made many vero circuits with success buy now I feel the need to try making PCBs BUT I don't have a laser printer (only inkjet).

I can buy the acid and PCB blanks from Maplin (UK) quite cheaply, -I think- all I need is a way to get an image on the copper.

Can I buy a pen where I could trace an image onto the copper and then etch away the plain areas?

Is there anything I can do with the inkjet or would I really need a laser printer?

[CynicalMan]

I've heard that sharpies work.

[metallo]

You can print ink onto mylar sheets and use these with UV and photoresist. With some practice this can yield very good results.

The real ghetto way would be to print ink onto regular white paper and instead of a proper UV lightbox just use light bulbs or fluorescent tubes that produce some UV. Resolution is awful and exposure times hard to predict, but it'll work.

Although this might seem cheap it will take a lot of time. Even for small runs the cheapest way often is a fab house in China.

[kupervaser]

Sharpie will work.

You can draw the traces on the pcb and etch it.
I did it a few times, it works but is not pretty and you can me lots of mistakes.

[.Mike]

Is there anything I can do with the inkjet or would I really need a laser printer?

Take your inkjet print to a copy shop and photocopy it onto a piece of photo paper.

[brianisgood]

Excellent stuff guys - many thanks!

[G. Hoffman]

Is there anything I can do with the inkjet or would I really need a laser printer?

Take your inkjet print to a copy shop and photocopy it onto a piece of photo paper.

Or find a friend with a laser printer.  

On the other hand, you can find perfectly acceptable B&W laser printers for about $100, and if you only use them for PCBs you won't need to buy toner or print heads very often.  Its not super cheap, but its not too bad, and is probably cheaper than getting set up to do photo-resist.  it really is a very useful thing to have in your arsenal of techniques.

Or, if you really felt like it, you could rip your ink jet printer apart and modify it to print directly.  That only works with certain brands of printers that use pigment based inks, though, so no promises it will work.  You also can't use that for etching enclosures.


Gabriel

[arma61]

Can I buy a pen where I could trace an image onto the copper and then etch away the plain areas?

oh yes you can, old style PCB




keep also a blade handy so you can make big or close traces and just "cut" between them then check with DMM for shorts.

[brianisgood]

That's really great - did you use a plain Sharpie or is it a special pen?

[trixdropd]

Buy a laser printer, they're dirt cheap.

[Brymus]

I bought my laser printer new for 50$
works excellent.
The replacement toner costs 70$ though,but I doubt I will ever print 1000 boards which is how long the original should last.

[Paul Marossy]

That's really great - did you use a plain Sharpie or is it a special pen?

I've etched boards that way in the past. Regular Sharpie markers work fine. But you have to make sure that it goes on thick, or the etchant will eat thru any spot not covered very well with the marker.

[fpaul]

I would recommend the photo resist board.  Much easier to get a perfect transfer in my opinion.

[R.G.]

I've etched boards that way in the past. Regular Sharpie markers work fine. But you have to make sure that it goes on thick, or the etchant will eat thru any spot not covered very well with the marker.

I once did the power distribution and about half the logic traces of a clone of the Apple II this way. My eyes are still slightly crossed.

Worked, too. 

[kupervaser]

That's really great - did you use a plain Sharpie or is it a special pen?

I used a cd marker.
Try to find a cheap laser printer. Brother are pretty cheap. I bought my with a spare toner for like 20 euros.

[linny1982]

samsung ML-1640 is probably the cheapest monochrome laser around. i picked mine up for $60 aus

[diydave]

Or print your pcb's on photo-paper using the laserprinter at work. 
Just don't get caught in the act.   

[daveh222]

About Sharpies for cheap and easy PCBs -
I have found that the silver sharpies are much more resistant to washing off than the standard black ones. I have also had good luck with paint pens. Staples or other office supply stores sell all of those.

I like to put on a second coat after the first one dries.

[R.G.]

If you're going to iron on the transfer immediately, there is no equal for toner transfer to the adhesive release sheets that press-on labels come on.

Laser printers and copiers will print on them. But flexing and rubbing will remove the toner - the same quality that makes them do good toners if you iron them on hot enough to stick (and clean the copper first and preheat it and all the rest of the stuff leading to good toner transfers).

[space_ryerson]

I've etched boards that way in the past. Regular Sharpie markers work fine. But you have to make sure that it goes on thick, or the etchant will eat thru any spot not covered very well with the marker.

I once did the power distribution and about half the logic traces of a clone of the Apple II this way. My eyes are still slightly crossed.

Worked, too. 

That is utterly amazing.