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Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] I don't recommend this laser printer

From: James <bitsyboffin@...>
Date: 2013-10-17

You don't need a pitch black and thick toner cover for UV, uniformity is more important, if your exposure is short.  When I started doing UV I always printed 2 copies and aligned them for extra darkness and did a long exposure (2m30s), but now I only print one copy, works just as well with a short exposure (50 seconds under UV leds).  I use dry film negative resist and tracing paper artwork.

As for printers, I have several but the one i use mainly for this is a Brother HL5340D, with Toner save off and  "Improve Toner Fixing" on, at 1200dpi.  My MFC-7420 doesnt have an fixing improvement setting and the toner tends to rub off tracing paper too easily if I use that printer.

At least here in NZ printers (laser and inkjet both) are pretty easy to come by second hand for between $1 and $20, buy one, use it, abuse it, strip it down for bits when you're done and move on to the next.



On 17/10/13 13:28, beefyzee@... wrote:
 

I thought because it had a resolution of 1200 x 1200 it may lay down a decent quantity of toner but that's not the case. I've just got my UV box and wanted to try my first photo resist PCB board but after printing the pattern I hold the paper up to the light and I can see my fingers through the toner quite easily. The light is definitely getting through the "black" so I'm guessing the UV would get past it too.