Homebrew PCBs

> Anyway I have convereted a C84 Epson to print on some thin copper 
clad
> I am very disapointed in the results I have major pitting on the
> etched PCB.
> 
> I am using the genuine Durabrite inks.
> I have tried yellow magenta and cyan even tried black.
>  yellow looked best but still not even usable.
> Tried pre-etching + Preheating.
> Tried FeCl and Sodium Persulfate.

You missed curing. You have to cure the ink at the temperature 
specified at
http://techref.massmind.org/techref/pcb/etch/directinkjetresist.htm 
Without curing, it just washes off as you have seen.

> Why do the color inks not laydown solid like the black they have an
> orangepeel texture?   Black looks solid but doesnt hold up.
> All inks look solid when printed on paper.

That seems to happen to most people and it doesn't matter. Volkan is 
the only person I am aware of who has been able to get it to print 
without the texture. The texture doesn't seem to hurt anything.

> I think if I could get yellow to cover like the black it would 
> work. 

Magenta seems to have the reputation for the best resist after 
curing, but I believe there has been some success with other colors. 
Not black.

> 
> I tried to use the durabrite ink as a blocker and tinplate and use 
the
> tin as the etch resist but the durabrite didnt even holdup to the 
ITP
> plating. 


Again, curing is a critical step.

 
> Oh well enough rambling throw in your input or questions and I'll 
keep
>  plugging away.
> 
> I may settle for using this to print NEGs for the dry film the 
black
> on transparencys is way better than I expected that would speed 
things
> up I wouldnt have to wait for the NEGs to be made.

A number of people have reported success with that. 


> I will try and post some pictures Sunday.

I alway appreciate seeing the pictures, and a description of what we 
are looking at would be even better.


> Later
> Ken
>

James Newton
http://www.massmind.org