Hi There,

Does anyone know how to make coloured PCB's?

 

Use a electrodeposited paint (a bit expensive). Plate the traces with silver, Ni or whatever and electrodeposit on top a metal or inorganic compound wich is coloured or can be transformed in something coloured (like oxidising a metal). Use coper sulphate (and cover it with some transp polish), iron and oxidise it (can get black or redish-orange), Ni and chemicaly modify it to get a bluish colour and so on.
If you're a masochist paint the traces manualy :lol
Use a photo or phototermal deposited ink or dye.
Those ideeas came in to my mind. I'd realy like other sugestions.

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If is too complicated.....most of the times is the wrong way.

 

The color on manufactured PCBs come from the solder mask. It is basically an epoxy type compound which is silkscreened onto the boards at the time of manufacture. Usually it's green, but I've also seen black, blue and red.
JB

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Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself - Weiler's Law

 

Is that how they make the solder resist layer?

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I do not answer private messages asking for help because no one else can: benefit from advice I may give or correct me if I'm wrong.

Please ask on the open forum if you have a question and I'll be happy to help, if I know the answer.

 

Yes, it's silkscreened on the board.

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Can u give details about the epoxy compound? It's feasable to be used in noindustrial conditions?

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If is too complicated.....most of the times is the wrong way.

 

I've never seen a hobbyist do a silkscreen. presumably, since it's possible to make t-shirts at home by silkscreening, then one would assume it's also feasible to do so for your PCB's, but the extra effort required to make the silkscreen mask for every board you lay out is not worth the effort in many cases... if you reach the point where you really need a silkscreen, then you probably ought to be getting your boards made professionally anyway.

with that said, I've heard of people "silkscreening" their board by simply spraying the whole board with translucent green paint, such as that used on toy model kits (ie - Testors brand); apparently if you use the right kind of paint, it burns off under the heat of the soldering iron, so you can solder the board after and only the areas soldered will be exposed, the rest will remain painted. I've never gotten around to trying it, and I'd expect that the burned-off paint could make for some dirty solder joints if you weren't careful, but it sounds possible.

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EEgeek.net

 

i've heard of that method too ... I think the paint recommended was Testors Acrylic Enamel Hobby Paint in a rattle can ... I stick to "silkscreening" after assembly ... little alcohol and wire brush action to clean things up and then spray it down with rustoleum black

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