I'm glad you are being "contrary". You are supplied an existence proof that
at least one laser printer can print directly to a conductive surface. I
just took some aluminum foil and wrapped the top around a piece of paper.
Then ran it through my HP printer. I got nice, crisp results and gently
running my finger over the toner did not loosen it.
The foil did pick up a lot of marks from the rollers but they might come out
with a roller. Gee, maybe the laminator would be interesting....
Thanks!
Rick
-----Original Message-----
From:
Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com [mailto:
Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of Mark Lerman
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2013 12:30 PM
To:
Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.comSubject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Laser Printing on Metal
I don't mean to be contrary, but I have used a laser printer to print
directly on copper and on aluminum. I found that laser printers vary
tremendously in their ability to do this, but I cannot tell you why this is.
I believe it was a Lexmark E260 that I first used. I took a piece of thin
(.005) copperclad and just ran it through like a piece of paper. It printed
perfectly and even fused!
That said, I have experimented with a number of other laser printers and
they vary all over the place in this regard. Some won't print at all, and
many won't fuse. You can easily remove the fuser from most laser printers,
replacing it with a resistor to simulate the temperature measuring
thermistor in the fuser. That way you can "fuse" the image on the copper in
an oven or by using acetone vapor.
If you want to try it, be prepared for a lot of frustration and some sparks.
Be careful because there is a lot of voltage (at little
current) in these machines. I would suggest using printers with easily
replaced drums in case you damage the drum. Rounding and smoothing the
corners of the pcb help a lot.
Mark
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