--- In
Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "Phil" <phil1960us@y...> wrote:
> thanks for the reply. I dont think the toner
> smearing is due to movement of the paper. the
> toner is getting blotchy - a straight line will
> have varying width but is still straight.
> Nearby features will be fine. If my wife ever
> gives me back MY digital camera, I'll post pix.
> Its significantly better with the plate. I've
> tried cutting down the toner (easy with the
> copier) but with only a little difference. When
> I've used too much pressure, it really gets bad.
Two things I can think of.
First off, you may have the printer/copier set too
dark. Too much toner will make it smear on melting.
Second, what kind of paper are you using? Glossy
(or semi-gloss) printer paper will tend to smear
because there's nowhere for the toner to flow but
outward. If you use the standard coated inkjet
paper...which looks like it's been painted with a
"flat" paint (as opposed to glossy) excess toner
can flow between the grains. This greatly reduces
the sideways flow.
It's pretty easy to find coated inkjet paper in
an office supply place like office max. Here's
a page from an article that mentions a couple
ways to tell if something is coated inkjet paper
(sorry for the long link)
http://www.extremecooling.org/ec/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=73&page=2
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, Alan King <alan@n...> wrote:
> > Phil wrote:
> > > One of the things that I've been having trouble with on toner
> > > transfer is smearing due to either incorrect pressure or too
much
> > > heat. My theory is that the smearing is happening because I
have
> to
> >
> >
> > Metal plates are not a bad idea and can make for more even
> results. But the
> > iron can also work great by itself, holes and moving it shouldn't
> be a problem.
> > Use the tip of the iron, and only tack down one corner of the
> print good
> > enough to stick well. Using the tip work a diagonal line through
> the print,
> > then work out from the middle diagonal line to the other corners,
> then go back
> > over and give good heat and pressure to the whole board. If
you're
> doing the
> > whole iron at once at first, you're very likely not getting the
> toner stuck well
> > first and shifting things slightly while initially moving the
> iron. You want to
> > work a good tacking in first without shifting anything, then get
> the good
> > transfer heat and pressure to get most of the toner on the board.
> >
> > And if you're not already doing it, you should run the print
> back through the
> > printer several times for the extra fusing before the transfer.
> Much improved
> > the results from my transfers.
> >
> > But it may still all be just thick toner from large particles,
> and you'll
> > probably never get everything consistent enough to always get the
> same results
> > from thick toner. The range between too much heat and pressure
and
> too little
> > is just too narrow with a large easy to smash particle. Even
with
> the metal
> > sheeting it may be hard to keep things consistent.
> >
> > I only ever really got OK results from previous attempts,
never
> the good to
> > excellent that I since got from the 600 DPI printer. I really
need
> to go back
> > though and try the other techniques I now do with the other
> printer, and see how
> > much of the quality loss is really just the toner and
resolution.
> I imagine
> > it's most of it though, good results came fast and easy on the 6L.
> >
> > Alan