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Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] thickness of printed lines on traces

From: Russell <rjshaw@...>
Date: 2002-05-14

dg140@... wrote:
>
> How thick is the thinnest line that can be generated by a lasejet (say the
> HP1200) and an injket?
>
> When doing photographic etching, is the thickness of the line from the
> printer the same as the eventual trace on the foil pattern? If the line
> was, asay 0.5MM thick, would the trace be the same size as well?
>
> I have found that the lines created by a Laserjet seem to be more "crisp"
> than even a good Inkjet. Even if the Injket has from 1200 to 2400 DPI, a
> LaserJet appears slightly clearer. Does this quality difference affect
> the quality of a foil pattern?

It depends on the inkjet. AFAIK, the best is an epson stylus colour
printing onto epson transparency with the genuine ink. I can do sharp,
smooth tracks with less than 8mil width/spacing with a 720dpi epson
stylus 400 colour. Unlike a laser, you can print large ∗black∗ areas
without a single pin-hole of light getting thru. I always use the
film with ink side against the copper to get sharp traces.