Quote:
Originally Posted by Argus25
Very encouraging results. Well done.
Have you actually tried the American made professional iron on film ?
I think what happened here is that the manufacturers of it perfected the issues that happen with other iron on systems. With it, when you peel it off, there is nothing to be cleaned away, just the "ink" layer left behind & ready to etch. Probably why it is on a heat resistant plastic backing, rather than paper, so there are no paper fibers to deal with.
https://www.jaycar.com.au/press-n-pe...-film/p/HG9980 |
That's marketed in the UK as 'Press 'n Peel'.
At the Jaycar link, it appears to be $35 AU for a single A4 sheet, which the website seems to indicate. If so, that's a staggering £18 GBP a sheet. ($AU = £0.52 GBP).
It's widely available in the UK, both on eBay (typically £4.52 for a single sheet + £1.45 postage) and from Amazon £15.90 for five sheets, (so £3.18 per sheet), plus postage unless on orders over £20.00 of for Amazon Prime members:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Press-n-Pee...92068730&psc=1
That looks frightfully expensive to me, even if a user can put several PCB layouts on one sheet. It explains why so many people try other papers or methods first. Many people on internet suggest that thin glossy magazine paper works best as once the design has been ironed on, the paper is much easier to remove than for example glossy photo paper. It does seem counter-intuitive to use magazine paper on which there is already print, and to print onto it with a laser printer, but of course, the ink on the paper is printers' ink and the laser printer applies toner.
I wonder how many users forget to reverse the artwork before printing it and ironing it on, and end up with a perfectly printed PCB which is a mirror image of what they actually need? Oh dear!
True, the Press 'n Peel and iron on technique obviates all the faff of needed a UV box (which can be cheaply made from a fly killed or ultra-bright UV LEDS), and for developer, but the UV negative resist dry film that I use typically costs £3.38 for a 1 M x 30cm reel, which equates to 17p for an A4 sheet. It takes 2 teaspoons of developer (cheaply available 'soda ash) to develop a PCB.
If I had a laser printer and no UV light box, I think I'd be opting for magazine paper.
Really, all that matters is that we each find a system that works for us, and share our successes (and failures!) with kindred spirits on the forum.