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OK, I am puzzled: 2D printing is a dark art, but 3D printing is not? And comparing this to Chinese PCB manufacturing services is weird, too. If you want doubl

OK, I am puzzled: 2D printing is a dark art, but 3D printing is not? And comparing this to Chinese PCB manufacturing services is weird, too. If you want double sided, with vias, down to tiny traces, with plating and solder-stop and text, then you may be willing to pay the shipment and wait a few days. Yes, I admit that this is a fun method. But what is the advantage over laser printing and then, say, using UV light to transfer to a photo PCB? Honestly, I do not get why laser printers are a dark art, please explain!

bob1029 7y ago
I came here with the same question. I can see how the laser printer approach might have its own difficulties, but from a layman's perspective this seems like the most accessible & reproducible path.
- hwillis 7y ago
  It's very much an art. Gotta have the right paper, printer, and temperature application, and there's no good way to know until you have a feel for it. Plus finding a laser printer is a hassle now.
  - jacquesm 7y ago
    > Plus finding a laser printer is a hassle now. Huh? Aren't they a complete commodity? $250 will get you a half decent one.
    - StavrosK 7y ago
      I don't know about everyone else, because what you're saying seems to be a common sentiment and multiple people here mention "just" getting a $200+ piece of equipment, but neither the $200 nor finding the space to put the printer on is worth it to me for the ~1 PCB per year I want to make (and ~0 pages I want to print). At most, I might go to a printing place and ask them to print a page, but my 3D printer is right there and this saves me a trip.
      - jacquesm 7y ago
        Right, but a 3D printer is :)! Bet that cost a lot more than $200.
        StavrosK 7y ago
        I think it was actually right around $200, but I'm not saying people should get a 3D printer instead of a 2D printer, I'm saying that making PCBs with what you have is better than making them with something you have to buy. If you already have a laser printer, that will probably be much better for you (unless you have a 3D printer too :p). This post is basically saying "if you don't have a laser printer but have a 3D one, you can still make PCBs!" :)
        jacquesm 7y ago
        Fair enough. Someone should figure out how to print photoresist directly with an inkjet printer. That would be a neat trick.
        StavrosK 7y ago
        Or even better, conductive ink! We probably aren't very close to that, but maybe a better etchant isn't too far off, and I'd settle for that.
        kragen 7y ago
        You can buy conductive ink pens from Adafruit and many hobby stores.
        kragen 7y ago
        There are pages about how to use inkjet ink as a PCB resist. Apparently it's a bit trickier than the laser process.
StavrosK 7y ago
It's not the printing that's a dark art, it's the making a PCB by printing.

bob1029 7y ago

I came here with the same question. I can see how the laser printer approach might have its own difficulties, but from a layman's perspective this seems like the most accessible & reproducible path.

hwillis 7y ago
It's very much an art. Gotta have the right paper, printer, and temperature application, and there's no good way to know until you have a feel for it. Plus finding a laser printer is a hassle now.
- jacquesm 7y ago
  > Plus finding a laser printer is a hassle now. Huh? Aren't they a complete commodity? $250 will get you a half decent one.
  - StavrosK 7y ago
    I don't know about everyone else, because what you're saying seems to be a common sentiment and multiple people here mention "just" getting a $200+ piece of equipment, but neither the $200 nor finding the space to put the printer on is worth it to me for the ~1 PCB per year I want to make (and ~0 pages I want to print). At most, I might go to a printing place and ask them to print a page, but my 3D printer is right there and this saves me a trip.
    - jacquesm 7y ago
      Right, but a 3D printer is :)! Bet that cost a lot more than $200.
      - StavrosK 7y ago
        I think it was actually right around $200, but I'm not saying people should get a 3D printer instead of a 2D printer, I'm saying that making PCBs with what you have is better than making them with something you have to buy. If you already have a laser printer, that will probably be much better for you (unless you have a 3D printer too :p). This post is basically saying "if you don't have a laser printer but have a 3D one, you can still make PCBs!" :)
        jacquesm 7y ago
        Fair enough. Someone should figure out how to print photoresist directly with an inkjet printer. That would be a neat trick.
        StavrosK 7y ago
        Or even better, conductive ink! We probably aren't very close to that, but maybe a better etchant isn't too far off, and I'd settle for that.
        kragen 7y ago
        You can buy conductive ink pens from Adafruit and many hobby stores.
        kragen 7y ago
        There are pages about how to use inkjet ink as a PCB resist. Apparently it's a bit trickier than the laser process.

StavrosK 7y ago

It's not the printing that's a dark art, it's the making a PCB by printing.