2 - Brother HL-L2350DW: Brothers printers don't have a good reputation (I don't know why)With the Brother at my old job, I tried it, but the toner adhered to the transfer paper too well, and just wouldn’t transfer onto the PCB.
You can try to use the paper which is used for stickers (for laser printers, with stickers removed) and use direct path in your printer. It should withstand the temperature and the toner will not adhere to it so much.
2 - Brother HL-L2350DW: Brothers printers don't have a good reputation (I don't know why)With the Brother at my old job, I tried it, but the toner adhered to the transfer paper too well, and just wouldn’t transfer onto the PCB.
I've been using a Brother MFC7440N with yellow PCB transfer paper bought from Amazon. I think I must have made 5 to 10 small PCBs (say 50 mm) over the years. I use a clothes iron. I've never been really satisfied with the results. I don't know if it's due to the printer, but what happens is that I often tear tracks when pulling the transfer paper.
That happens even if I let it soak in warm water for a while and even if I pull very carefully.
I'd like to get a new printer anyway since the one I have is a bit old and runs on 110VAC (brought it back from Canada), but I don't want to get a crappy, spyware-ridden printer that will stop working if my credit card expires, or that gives trouble under Linux.
Yep, that’s what I had with the Brother toner, except I actually have a laminator. No such trouble with HP or Samsung toner.
In every case, you have to prepare the PCB surface carefully or no brand of toner will adhere well.
Warm water isn’t used with the yellow transfer paper. Water is for when you use magazine pages and you’re literally dissolving the paper away from the toner. The yellow transfer paper has a plastic-and-silicone coated side, so the water isn’t going to interact with the toner at all… (You are printing onto the glossy side, right??)
A printer will only stop working when your card expires if you choose to sign up for a toner subscription. Such a subscription is completely optional, and you can always use cartridges you buy at a store.
As for Linux support: just make sure you get a printer that has PCL or PostScript emulation. Those will work with anything, at least for basic functionality.
I don't know if it's due to the printer, but what happens is that I often tear tracks when pulling the transfer paper.
I still get better results than what I was getting with photoresist, but that probably just means that I'm not very good at etching PCBs.
Its tearing that happens when you use the iron.
Its tearing that happens when you use the iron.
I think I'm gonna give laminators a shot.
Would PCBs be too thick for common laminators?
Its tearing that happens when you use the iron.
I think I'm gonna give laminators a shot.
Would PCBs be too thick for common laminators?
I have used this laminator ( https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/224839360612?hash=item3459786064:g:l8YAAOSwckFfz0Th&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4NrVUalz1rQ4rjR9nAF9ZCgxbBTvVxV6U2zNG63mBkY9VQEUJOz6pRr%2FxpFilE2%2BDrkD8zR1fTQTGqo%2BqRKbiEDHykUUE9kNNyEwzi0xPc1m46v8F2z9yE0qE1ucFmBY%2FzKrfFC1hLFonyYEInSHMkMLFlhoMzBxOF1bcogrpW2wbcIWECZt%2BX%2FXFzrWp%2FbuDw3QtzlBJRKsS%2BMcFnd%2BmKb5%2B%2BAqm1VDRF0gSNyWprla2FZkxewN0VcwXgG38E94INQtZ2ke%2BOrQtpfAwu8eaAoY04EBoAYPKqT4sdc4FWmN%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_7d5rH3YQ ) with 100% success on PCBs. Temp set to 190C and 5-7 passes, let the pcb cool then peel and 100% toner transfer. I also use the yellow toner transfer paper.
Its tearing that happens when you use the iron.
I think I'm gonna give laminators a shot.
Would PCBs be too thick for common laminators?
I have used this laminator ( https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/224839360612?hash=item3459786064:g:l8YAAOSwckFfz0Th&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4NrVUalz1rQ4rjR9nAF9ZCgxbBTvVxV6U2zNG63mBkY9VQEUJOz6pRr%2FxpFilE2%2BDrkD8zR1fTQTGqo%2BqRKbiEDHykUUE9kNNyEwzi0xPc1m46v8F2z9yE0qE1ucFmBY%2FzKrfFC1hLFonyYEInSHMkMLFlhoMzBxOF1bcogrpW2wbcIWECZt%2BX%2FXFzrWp%2FbuDw3QtzlBJRKsS%2BMcFnd%2BmKb5%2B%2BAqm1VDRF0gSNyWprla2FZkxewN0VcwXgG38E94INQtZ2ke%2BOrQtpfAwu8eaAoY04EBoAYPKqT4sdc4FWmN%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_7d5rH3YQ ) with 100% success on PCBs. Temp set to 190C and 5-7 passes, let the pcb cool then peel and 100% toner transfer. I also use the yellow toner transfer paper.
That looks like a good deal.
Do you know if you would get good results at 180°C?
Here I see mostly 20-40 euro junk on Amazon and office supply stores, some of them have thickness specs of max 0.5 mm. Then you jump to 3000 euro machines.
But among all that crap I found this https://www.amazon.fr/PrimeMatik-Laminateur-Thermique-Plastifieuse-Document/dp/B07C3C6YT3/ref=sr_1_51?__mk_fr_FR=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&crid=FAY208T95WIU&keywords=plastifieuse&qid=1682499059&refinements=p_36%3A193647031&rnid=193642031&s=officeproduct&sprefix=plastifieuse%2Caps%2C153&sr=1-51
which seems to be pretty close to your model except for the temperature indicator.
It only goes to 180°C per its knob graduations. Maybe the government here doesn't trust us with high-temperature laminators!
Do you know if 180°C would do it?
Its tearing that happens when you use the iron.
I think I'm gonna give laminators a shot.
Would PCBs be too thick for common laminators?
I have used this laminator ( https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/224839360612?hash=item3459786064:g:l8YAAOSwckFfz0Th&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4NrVUalz1rQ4rjR9nAF9ZCgxbBTvVxV6U2zNG63mBkY9VQEUJOz6pRr%2FxpFilE2%2BDrkD8zR1fTQTGqo%2BqRKbiEDHykUUE9kNNyEwzi0xPc1m46v8F2z9yE0qE1ucFmBY%2FzKrfFC1hLFonyYEInSHMkMLFlhoMzBxOF1bcogrpW2wbcIWECZt%2BX%2FXFzrWp%2FbuDw3QtzlBJRKsS%2BMcFnd%2BmKb5%2B%2BAqm1VDRF0gSNyWprla2FZkxewN0VcwXgG38E94INQtZ2ke%2BOrQtpfAwu8eaAoY04EBoAYPKqT4sdc4FWmN%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_7d5rH3YQ ) with 100% success on PCBs. Temp set to 190C and 5-7 passes, let the pcb cool then peel and 100% toner transfer. I also use the yellow toner transfer paper.
I used to use my original HP Laserjet 5p. It worked OK, but there are so many inexpensive PCB sources these days I can't be bothered doing my own.
I just replaced the Laserjet after 28 years, with a new Brother HL-L2370DW XL. Print quality is good but they caution against using almost anything other than standard non-inkjet paper. I'd be nervous putting transfer paper through it.
Hello,
Well I went out and bought a Kyocera P2040dw and boy does it lay down the toner. The picture of the board (a control board for the TruLam 320B) that I am making to improve the performance of the laminator. It is from a Hackaday article. I did this using Staples Photo paper but I think that the yellow transfer paper would be the way to go. I have ordered some and the green toner transfer film but that material is a week or so away.
Now for my problem:
I found a video on YouTube (Russian I believe) where the person uses a mix of Citric Acid and Hydrogen Peroxide. The problem is I can't find out what the ratios should be for proper etching. I really would like to have this work as disposal would be easy just dilute and flush. Much better than FeCL2 or one of the persulfates.