Homebrew PCBs

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.