PCB trace

[koolguy]

Hello,
For making PCB the screen printings use but i don't want to use it!
so, laser print on A4 sheet is not working well please tell how to press the trace on PCB clearly without any trace vias loss.

Thanks

 

[MysticalDork]

I use a pouch-laminator machine. You can't use the cheap ones, they don't get hot enough. You need a minimum of 140-150C for the toner to melt well, and the rollers should have some kind of spring tension mechanism to allow them to grab thick boards without warping. I use a special gummed paper that releases the toner when it gets wet.

 

[throbscottle]

I use a household clothes iron, and I discovered that lower temperature works better, just above the iron's steaming point. With higher temperatures I was getting squashed, blurry tracks. I also discovered that the toner was melting too much and soaking into the paper - took a long time to figure that one out!

Anyway, there is a wealth of shared information on this subject, it has been discussed many times in many places. Basically the consensus is, you need to get the temperature right for the toner you are using, because it is different for every laser printer manufacturer, you need as much pressure as you can get, ideally using a laminator, thin, smooth magazine paper (the sort used for glossy newpaper inserts and store catalogues) and certain types of photo paper work well, cheap yellow toner transfer paper works better (which is what I use) and expensive toner transfer paper works best.

This awesome laminator modification https://hackaday.io/project/3363-apache-al13p-laminator-one-pass-pcb-toner-xfer is reported to work extremely well by it's inventor.

 

[throbscottle]

Welcome to the forum, MysticalDork!
What kind of special gummed paper is that? I've not heard of this one

 

[koolguy]

Will TP on laser printer will work?

 

[MysticalDork]

I don't know what TP is, sorry. I use this stuff: and it seems to work really well. You can even buy it from Digikey, which is a bonus.