Homebrew PCBs

Hi guys,

Which transparency films are best to print with laser or ink-jet printers. There are bunch of different types out there but I want your opinion. I've used tracing paper. Good results but it often wrinkles, which makes the PCB mask inaccurate. Thanks in advance.

Regards.

On 21/12/2010 17:11, mmaudioelectronics wrote:
> Hi guys,
>
> Which transparency films are best to print with laser or ink-jet printers. There are bunch of different types out there but I want your opinion. I've used tracing paper. Good results but it often wrinkles, which makes the PCB mask inaccurate. Thanks in advance.
>

Mega Electronics Jetstar and Jetstar Premium are for inkjet printers. I 
use the latter in my HP printer. They also make film for laser printers.

Leon
-- 
Leon Heller
G1HSM

Hi Leon,

thank you for your response. That's exactly what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, shipping costs from UK to Croatia are way too high, over £35.00. Doesn't make sense for 10-20 sheets. I need to figure out how to get that stuff from another source.

Regards m8. :)

On 22/12/2010 12:19, mmaudioelectronics wrote:
>
> Hi Leon,
>
> thank you for your response. That's exactly what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, shipping costs from UK to Croatia are way too high, over \ufffd35.00. Doesn't make sense for 10-20 sheets. I need to figure out how to get that stuff from another source.


Farnell stocks it, or I could buy some for you and post it.

Leon
-- 
Leon Heller
G1HSM

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On 22.Dec.10 13:19, mmaudioelectronics wrote:
> 
> Hi Leon,
> 
> thank you for your response. That's exactly what I'm looking for. Unfortunately, shipping costs from UK to Croatia are way too high, over £35.00. Doesn't make sense for 10-20 sheets. I need to figure out how to get that stuff from another source.
> 
> Regards m8. :)

Try to search for "izrada filmova za tisak". Prices here in Serbia are:
8.00 ? 14" width per meter
12.00 ? 20" width per meter

- -- 
 Srdacan pozdrav,
 Zoran A. Scepanovic
 zastos@...
 www.zastos.com
 www.zastos.biz
 +381 63 609-993

=====


Once a job is fouled up, anything done to improve it will only make it
worse.
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Hi guys,

Wow Leon, that's very kind of you but that will be my last resort in case I don't find any other solution. Zorane, I've already tried that with local print shops but those guys simply don't know what I want. You know that face expression, like... heck, what is this guy talking about? PCB mask? :)) Besides, which format I should use to export my designes from Altium Designer? Acrobat .pdf?

Regards ppl.

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On 22.Dec.10 16:21, mmaudioelectronics wrote:
> 
> Hi guys,
> 
> Wow Leon, that's very kind of you but that will be my last resort in case I don't find any other solution. Zorane, I've already tried that with local print shops but those guys simply don't know what I want. You know that face expression, like... heck, what is this guy talking about? PCB mask? :)) Besides, which format I should use to export my designes from Altium Designer? Acrobat .pdf?
> 
> Regards ppl.
> 

I use Protel99 SE SP6and have installed the Agfa AccuSet 1000 PostScript
printer.

I print all my designd to .ps files and convert them to .pdf.

Ti the people at the print sjop, I always put a note in the e-mail to
produce film "AS IS" (because the bottom layer is already flipped), and
if I make DS boards, I 'print' Top layer mirrored.

BTW my friends in the print shop are already "trained" not to flip the
files that I send them, or they will produce another set on their expence :)

BTW, take a look at this blog: http://zastos.com/wp

- -- 
 Best regards,
 Zoran A. Scepanovic
 zastos@...
 www.zastos.com
 www.zastos.biz
 +381 63 609-993

=====


Nothing ever gets build on schedule or within budget.
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On 23/12/2010 2:21 AM, mmaudioelectronics wrote:
>
> Hi guys,
>
> Wow Leon, that's very kind of you but that will be my last resort in 
> case I don't find any other solution. Zorane, I've already tried that 
> with local print shops but those guys simply don't know what I want. 
> You know that face expression, like... heck, what is this guy talking 
> about? PCB mask? :)) Besides, which format I should use to export my 
> designes from Altium Designer? Acrobat .pdf?
>
> Regards ppl.
>
I use Altium and and print to pdf regularly. I personally use cutepdf 
pdf printer and you can either change the default print settings for 
normal print output (i've modified a fabrication output and set it to 
default) or set up a custom output job that just prints the layer I want 
and multilayer, and sometimes I'll have a separate layer with an outline 
border / alignment marks. Be sure to set it to a monochrome print with a 
scale set to 1.
I find altiums built in pdf output always seems to scale the image, 
and/or stuff up the image quality. The separate pdf printer is higher 
quality.

I've also got a cygwin script that takes a printout from altium with top 
and bottom layers on two separate pages and puts them both on one page 
with a border around each, makes it easier to make toner transfers 
and/or transparencies. If I'm doing a toner transfer I separate the two 
sides by 1.6mm then I can just fold the paper over the edge of the board 
for easy alignment of sides. If anyone's interested let me know and I'll 
upload it somewhere with some basic instructions when I find some time.

Andrew


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Thanks guys for your very useful tips. It seems that I have to try with those print shops again after all. As you said, I'll print all layers in pdf format and do some testing around with local print shops. Thanks again guys and I'll report back here with the results. Btw, Zorane you have a nice blog there. :)

Cheers.