Homebrew PCBs

my best results come from financial organization's newsletters.  
merrill lynch sends me a ton of this garbage and it works wonderfully.

this paper is moderately heavy but not super glossy which agrees with 
your observations.  I have not seen the darker areas causing problems 
but avoid them anyway since its harder to see the pattern and align 
it with board

I have had good luck with thinner paper as well but the ML stuff 
comes nice and flat for feeding through my copier.


--- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, "bnmj2000" <yahoo@d...> wrote:
> Well, that is the thing. I had read all I could on the toner 
transfer 
> method as was looking for suuitable paper. Magazines, catalogs and 
> books where no longer magazines, catalogs and books. They had all 
> simply become 'samples' of paper to try TT with.
> 
> Initally I was looking for paper with a very smooth finish (very 
> glossy magazines) as I thought that this was the "high clay 
content" 
> paper that I was supposed to be using. Nice shiny smooth finish 
> should make it easier to release the toner right?
> 
> I acheived average results with this paper but if I choose a page 
> that had dark graphics on it then I did had trouble with the paper 
> blitering as it went through the fuser.
> 
> Having also read the 'time magazine' success people had had. I went 
> to the newsagent and had a look at what this paper was like. (as 
well 
> as a lot of other magazines) I was suprised to see that the time 
> magazine was not a very glossing finish. (Well not in Australia at 
> least)
> 
> This got me thinking that the super high gloss was not necassary 
and 
> to try other less glossy magazines.  I have settled on using a 
> magazine that has mildly glossy finish but is quite thin. 
(Certainly 
> a lot thinner than the 80 g.s.m. copier paper)  I was amazed at the 
> detail of the toner transfer. 10mil tracks looked quite OK and best 
> of all the paper almost falls off when soaked for long enough.
> 
> Now I am convinced that this is the 'high clay content' paper that 
I 
> should be using. Having completed soaking the board removing the 
> paper, as the board is drying if I rub the board/traces I get a 
white 
> residue over the board. I am assuming this is the clay content of 
the 
> paper. It doesn't seem to cause trouble as it washed of when the 
> board is next wet.
> 
> 
> Now, describing the paper:
> 
> It is quite a thin paper that is smooth to touch however is not 
> overly glossy. I suppose a semi-gloss finish. My source is an 
> Australian "Airborne" magazine which I doubt is available outside 
> Australia. I imagine it is a fairly small circulation magazine and 
> therefore the paper will be a budget paper. It is not rough like 
> newsprint. Judging from the result of the tonner transfer I think 
is 
> must have small cellulose fiber length as the paper fibres that 
> remain on the toner bonded to the copper appear to be very small. 
Not 
> like the 80 gsm copy paper which had huge fibers hanging out of the 
> toner causing fuzzy edges and bridges between traces.
> 
> This has become quite a long post and probably far in excess of 
what 
> you were asking ST but I have been meaning to share these results 
> with the group for a while to give a bit back.  
> 
> To summarise I know myself and a few other friends that have tried 
TT 
> assumed that the most glossy paper was the way to go for better 
toner 
> release. We were completely surprised when less glossy, thinner 
paper 
> turned out better results. I beleive due to smaller fiber length 
and 
> greater clay content just as a gut feel.
> 
> Cheers,
> David
> 
> 
>  
> 
> 
> 
> > Nice to hear it does like it should.
> > I really need to try magazine paper again some time with the 
> fuser...
> > I have tried different kinds and it didn't work at all.
> > Some papers form bubbles in the fuser of the printer, they are no 
> good.
> > Others don't release the toner at all.
> > how thick is the paper you use?
> > is it the more expensive glossy magazine paper (>=80gr/m^2)
> > or is it the very thin paper (much thinner than office paper)?
> > 
> > thanks
> > 
> > ST
> > 
> > > Cheers,
> > > David
> > >