On Tue, 7 Apr 2009 01:57:20 +0200 ropers <rop...@gmail.com> wrote: > 2009/4/6 J.C. Roberts <list-...@designtools.org>: > > > > If the real reason for buying a laser printer is PCB work, then > > there are some laser printers with a perfectly straight card-stock > > paper path where you can actually run the PCB material directly > > through the printer. I've seen them but I can't recall off the top > > of my head what brands/models can do this. > > Have you actually tried this? I'm just wondering, because I have a > really hard time imagining how this could work, seeing that laser > printers tend to require and electrically charged drum, and an > electrically conductive (and potentially, somewhere, grounded) print > medium seems like it could drain the drum charge real fast, resulting > in the toner going all over the place. But maybe I'm mistaken. Maybe > the drum charge is really only required during transfer of the toner > to the drum, and maybe even the drum being in contact with a copper > plated medium wouldn't disturb the toner positioning. Maybe the toner > would transfer and get fused to the "blank PCB" just fine. Maybe. If > anyone knows, then I'd be really curious to hear. > > regards, > --ropers
I've seen these printers in prototype labs, but I've never actually used one. As for how the heck they actually work, I really don't know. A search on "PCB Printer" might answer your questions. Since your goal is PCB work, it seemed worth mentioning since few people know these strange beasts even exist. -- J.C. Roberts
