Inkjet printer direct to PCB (printer hack/conversion)?

[HankMcSpank]

Hank,

I agree, advance it beyond those before, ditch the cardboard and bubble gum. But if you can't get the ink to dry in a consistant manner, there is no use advancing the mechanism.

You could print out some nice capacitive switches and keypads with the flexiable pcb material.
I might try this first with an unmodified printer. This way I can get a feel for the ink.


P.S. If we could determine if the same ink used in "Sharpie" pens would function in an epson print head. This ink dries fast and is etch resistant.

Now I'm no expert on printer ink, but it seems there are a two types...

1. dye ink (which is what most inkjets use) - water soluble - no use to us for etch resist.

2. pigment based ink (as used by the imkjet modders) - prints out wet, so needs to be baked to dry it. (& this is where inkjet pcbs turn into art form - the process of pre-prepping the board & drying the ink.



Solvent inks evaporate (likely to be what sharpie pens are)....ideal for pcbs, except it dissolves the glue in the epson print heads! this is why pigment based inks are the only option.

[Ioannis]

You can use AZAX or similar Glass cleaner for the blocked nozzles. It does a great job. Just remember after to do a head cleaning with the printer itself.

Ioannis

[daniel5]

Yeah I've used that, it does do a good job.

[kellyseye]

I've been looking at thermal printing mechanisms, particularly those that use waxed-transfer-to-paper i.e. older fax machines. The resolution isn't great but quite sufficient for most general pcb work. The only stumbling block is that the element used to provide the thermal transfer process won't accept a true flat paper (or pcb) pass through due to the 'bump' housing the heaters (presumably).
If the thermal print head manufacturers could make one that kept these 'lumps' out of the way then we're set to go!

Unless someone has come across a particular model that already has a 'flat' route through?

[happytriger2000]

Here is my Epson S22/T22 mod.

http://www.rhinofablab.com/profiles/...ct-pcb-printer

[mark_s]

Nice build!

Thanks