(/account/login)Create

| Sign Up (/about/submit.jsp)
(/account/gopro?sourcea=header&sourceaUrl=/id/Etching-PCBs-with-PressnPeel/?ALLSTEPS)
Explore Login
(/tag/type-id/)
Contests
Community (/community/)
let's make (/contest/)
(/)
(/)

share what you make >

(/editInstructable/)

(/id/intel/)

(/tag/type-id/category-workshop/channel-gardening/?sort=FEATURED)
(/tag/type-id/category-outside/channel-bikes/?sort=FEATURED
(/tag/type-id/category-technology/channe

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FW9/S1VV/I88LLAFQ/FW9S1VVI88LLAFQ.LARGE.jpg)

These days to make PCBs you dont need tons of expensive exposing equipment
and bubble tanks, it can be done quite simply on your kitchen floor or in a garage
and on a tight budget. There are many instructables already about how to create
PCB's with toner and glossy photo paper or magazine pages etc. But what if you
want something reliable, that peels straight off without any soaking?
Press n Peel is a brand of toner transfer system distributed by Tekniks. I am not
sure if they developed the technology but it seems to be a mylar like film with a blue
powdery emulsion coated onto it . This coating is very weakly adhered to the plastic
film.
The way it works is you print onto the blue side with a laser printer, then you flip it
over and iron it onto the copper. The toner re-melts and sticks to the copper ( same
as glossy paper ) but as the blue coating has poor adhesion to the sheet it comes

About This Instructable

6,006 views
339 favorites

License:
Public
Domain

clacktronics-uk

(/member/clacktronicsuk/)

unstuck as you peel it off leaving the residue only where the toner was.
It is not the only brand available though, there is also Pulsar paper and I have read
somewhere there is a far eastern company that produces it but I couldnt find any
info on this.
It is a really excellent way of producing PCBs in an instant, you can whip up a
perfect batch PCBs in 30-40 mins. It is also detailed enough to do SMD soldering
and with good alignment double sided is possible. It is not without difficulty though,
toner adhesion is still an issue and this is why I have written this guide to get
perfect results every time.

Low Cost Prototype

PCB
$12 for 10pcs of 2 layers
board, 1-3days' delivery,Made
in China.

Clacktronics
(http://clacktronics.co.uk)

(/member/clacktronicsFollow
uk/)

30

Bio: Design and electronics workshop in

london
More by clacktronics-uk

(/id/Making-a-durable-decalon-metal-with-lazertran)
Tags:
PCB (/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyw ordpcb/)
press'n'peel (/tag/type-id/categorytechnology/keyw ord-press%27n%27peel/)
toner transf er (/tag/type-id/categorytechnology/keyw ord-toner+transf er/)

Remove these ads by Signing Up (/account/gopro?

sourcea=removeads&nxtPgName=Etching+PCBs+w ith+Press%27n%27Peel&nxtPg=/id/Etching-PCBs-w ith-PressnPeel/?ALLSTEPS)

etch (/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyw ordetch/)

f erric chloride (/tag/type-id/categorytechnology/keyw ord-f erric+chloride/)

Step 1: Materials & Preperation

f lux spray (/tag/type-id/categorytechnology/keyw ord-f lux+spray/)

copper board (/tag/type-id/categorytechnology/keyw ord-copper+board/)
drill pcb (/tag/type-id/category-technology/keyw orddrill+pcb/)

Related

Design a PCB using a

etch marker and ferric
chloride.
(http://www.instructables.com/id/Designa-PCB-using-a-etchProxxon MICROMOT drill
stand MB 140/S Light
(http://www.instructables.com/id/ProxxonMICROMOT-drill-standMB-140S-Light/?
Making Printed circuit
Boards at or Near Home:
A Comprehensive
Overview, Almost a Guide
(http://www.instructables.com/id/MakingPCB etching using laser
printer
(http://www.instructables.com/id/PCBetching-using-laserprinter/?
How To Make A PCB / PCB
Making Guide
(http://www.instructables.com/id/HowTo-Make-A-PCB-PCBMaking-Guide/?
See More (/tag/type-id/?q=)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FTY/CMRP/I88LLB9R/FTYCMRPI88LLB9R.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FJ5/BT1I/I88LLB09/FJ5BT1II88LLB09.LARGE.jpg)
(http://cdn.instructables.com/FZT/33AO/I88LLAHL/FZT33AOI88LLAHL.LARGE.jpg)

Materials
You dont need much at all, here are the materials I use
Laser printer
Iron
Acetone
IPA, Meths(no
not crystal meth , denatured alcohol to Americans),
(http://cdn.instructables.com/FML/QEBW/I88LLAHF/FMLQEBWI88LLAHF.LARGE.jpg)
Acetone, lighter fluid or any kind of decreasing solvent for cleaning
Fine abrasive
(http://cdn.instructables.com/FBP/VDSV/I88LLAHH/FBPVDSVI88LLAHH.LARGE.jpg)
Paper towel
(Toilet paper!)
Copper Board
PressnPeel / Pulsar paper or similar
PCB drill / Dremel type hobby drill
Preparation
Designing and sizing the PCB is a whole other subject so I am going to leave it to
you. As you can see I printed 2 sheets already, it is fairly straight forward. Here is
a check list to help printing the image.
Is the image positive? toner = copper
Have you flipped the image?
is your printer set to US letter?
Set toner to thickest possible setting ( usually something like OHP mode )
Have you placed paper to print on the matt side? ( the wrong side is glossy )

As for the board this board is dirty! Ive had it hanging around for ages so its all
oxidized and gerrreeasy! If you buy board and its fresh from the seller dont bother
sanding it down it will work fine. But if its like this just rub it down with some fine
Wet and Dry (say 1000) with water till it gets bright and even coloured, this
removes the oxidized surface making it more consistent to use when etching.
Some boards especially ones you have cut will have burrs on the edges, it is best
to sand them off as it can make the image not stick around the edges. Just lie some
sanding paper flat on the desk and rub the burred edge against it until it becomes
flat.
Whether new or old it is a good idea to de-grease the surface of the PCB. I use
IPA (no not pale ale) as its a bit less harsh on the hands, but the acetone that we
will be using later on can also be used. Just rub it down until the towel you are
rubbing it down with comes up clean.

Step 2: Place down image and get the iron!

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FNS/G6H1/I88LLB8Y/FNSG6H1I88LLB8Y.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FD4/8YDM/I88LLB3U/FD48YDMI88LLB3U.LARGE.jpg)

Do it!
Now . My images are all cut out separately, I have no idea why, but having all the
(http://cdn.instructables.com/FY2/WQ0A/I88LLB5O/FY2WQ0AI88LLB5O.LARGE.jpg)
images on (http://cdn.instructables.com/FOR/XKXX/I88LLB5L/FORXKXXI88LLB5L.LARGE.jpg)
one
big sheet is fine, I cut them so there is an overhang on one side to
make it easy to peel off. The next step is to make the PnP image stick to the
copper board. The beauty of PnP is that it is semi-transparent so you can align it
quite easily by holding it up to the light. I gently lay the images up then place a
piece of paper over the top, the paper helps the iron to glide over the top and
prevents the iron from catching on the film.
Equipment caution
Make sure you are doing it on a very heatproof surface! if unsure get a piece of
scrap wood or a wooden chopping board.You may have a cheap iron in which
case the coating on it is a bit poor and it creates friction, stop here if you do not
(http://cdn.instructables.com/FXM/RYUZ/I88LLB3R/FXMRYUZI88LLB3R.LARGE.jpg)
want to sand off the coating!
Heat
1. According to the instructions the iron needs to be set somewhere around Wool
I put it a bit higher and had no problem. I begin by just pressing down gently
and rubbing over the entire board to get it up to temperature. Keep lifting up the
covering paper and see that is is stuck completely flat to the surface.
2. Once that is done and the board is up to heat you need pressure to fuse the
image down onto the board. Some people have a trick of using a rolling pin or
metal pipe, but I found I can get perfect results with just the iron. The trick is
knowing how long to do it, the fact is it is better to over do it than under.
3. The only thing you need to be careful of is not to spread or distort the image,
this can be mistakenly done by pushing across the sheet too hard. Downward
pressure is important but we dont need hydraulic press levels!
4. I start by putting the iron on its tip and rubbing the whole board left to right top to
bottom in a circular pattern. This ensures every little bit of the image has had
attention - do a bit extra around the edges as these parts tend to not stick so

well.
5. I also put the iron on its side edge and push it across the board too, try not to
do this too hard as it can move/smear the image or cause traces to spread.
Keep doing both of these processes somewhere around 5 mins is usually best.

Step 3: Cooling and Peeling

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F1D/R2SJ/I88LLAUG/F1DR2SJI88LLAUG.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FT2/QZCD/I88LLB8X/FT2QZCDI88LLB8X.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F3L/RR8N/I88LLAV5/F3LRR8NI88LLAV5.LARGE.jpg)

If you peel it off whilst still hot you will not get very good results, this is because the
toner is still sticky and not set so it will come off. Cooling it down with the tap makes
it quicker than waiting although I now tend not to do this as its more of a pain to reiron it if it is not perfect.
Now you should be able to peel the image off, it takes a bit of practice to tell when
its right, but once you get it down you can get perfect results all the time. If any of
the image doesnt stick, you can dry it out then cut out the missing section from the
sheet and iron it down on that part of the image.
I peel the sheet back very slowly so I can spot any non fused parts before the
whole sheet (http://cdn.instructables.com/FEJ/FXKR/I88LLB1Y/FEJFXKRI88LLB1Y.LARGE.jpg)
is off. If it is a bit patchy I can flip it back down and give it a bit more
ironing.
This one came out perfect! if you are fussy or there is a defect you can fill those
parts with any indelible marker

Step 4: Etch

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FZX/4UT8/I88LLAYK/FZX4UT8I88LLAYK.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FDP/4E6D/I88LLAW2/FDP4E6DI88LLAW2.LARGE.jpg)

Etching PCBs with Press'n'Peel

by clacktronics-uk (/member/clacktronics-uk/)

Show All 10 Items

Download (/id/Etching-PCBs-with-PressnPeel/?download=pdf)

(/id/Etching-PCBs-with-PressnPeel/)
Collection

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FC2/BRON/I88LLAW0/FC2BRONI88LLAW0.LARGE.jpg)

To etch all you need is some etchant, a big enough Tupperware box with steep
sides and a container for the liquid. The most common etchant is ferric chloride,
the good thing about it is that it lasts a very long time once you mix it up and it is
cheap! The (http://cdn.instructables.com/FBS/SDI1/I88LLAW3/FBSSDI1I88LLAW3.LARGE.jpg)
downside is that it is extremely staining and very dark so it can be hard
to see your board. It is not a dangerous chemical as long as you dont bath in it or
throw it in your eyes!
Follow the mixing
instructions on your etchant ( I usually make it a bit more
(http://cdn.instructables.com/FLD/VI8U/I88LLARU/FLDVI8UI88LLARU.LARGE.jpg)
concentrated than advised ) then but the board in the bottom of the box and pour
on, pouring helps to stop bubbles forming.
You will have to agitate it, this means swishing the mix around for about 5-10 mins,
it is not instant! but it is pretty obvious when the copper is almost gone as seen
below.
The copper will not come off consistently, just swish until all the copper is gone then
(http://cdn.instructables.com/F8L/3423/I88LLAW1/F8L3423I88LLAW1.LARGE.jpg)
pour the acid
into a container for future use. It needs to have a lid! and not be
made of metal!!
When all the acid is gone, pick up the board with paper towel and rinse it under the
tap. Rinse it thoroughly until all the acid is gone, be careful of your kitchen sink!
anything metal can be tarnished with this stuff!
There are 2 ways of removing the PnP resist, either using abrasion or Acetone. I
use Acetone because it is less back breaking work and is less scratchy on the
copper. Just pour a little bit on, let it sit there for a few seconds then wipe off. If
you use the cheap paper based board like me, I am afraid this technique will stain
the board with black, this has no electrical influence, it just looks ugly. Sorry about
the Kasabian image! rubbish band.

5 Steps

I Made it!

Favorite

Share

Step 5: Finish and Drill

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FAU/6UJY/I88LLAOF/FAU6UJYI88LLAOF.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F4H/I92X/I88LLB2X/F4HI92XI88LLB2X.LARGE.jpg)

Done! now all I need to do is drill it, if you are doing a lot of holes like me ( 300 + )
then it is just not worth doing it by hand drill or pillar drill. A specialist PCB drill or
press mounted hobby drill is a must, I use standard .9mm PCB refurbished (

resharpened from a factory ) drill bits for regular components and 1.2mm for wire
and mounting holes.
Some people like to use acrylic spray at the end of soldering to protect the copper
from corroding but the problem with this is that it makes it impossible to modify or
repair the PCB in the future. I used to just leave the PCBs unprotected and they
would oxidise until I found this flux spray that also acts as a barrier. You simply just
spray it on (http://cdn.instructables.com/F7W/841H/I88LLAR4/F7W841HI88LLAR4.LARGE.jpg)
the board after cleaning and it protects the board from corrosion. Then
when soldering it doesnt get in the way, you can just solder right through it , in fact
it helps as it is flux!!
If anyone has any further questions or ideas about improvement, feel free to
comment below and I will try my best to reply.

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FHJ/EENX/I88LLADJ/FHJEENXI88LLADJ.LARGE.jpg)

We have a be nice comment policy.

Please be positive and constructive.

I Made it!

Add Images

pooley182 (/member/pooley182/)

Make Comment

yesterday

I'd never heard of this press n peel, but I will be getting some for my future
projects, I hate the mess left by photo paper. For preventing corrosion I use
(/member/pooley182/)
immerse tin powder.
https://www.jprelec.co.uk/store.asp/c=694/Immerse-Tin-Powder
it coats the copper in a thin layer of tin, so it's still solderable, but prevents
corrosion and gives a really nice silver effect to finished pcbs.

Reply

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FWZ/ZZYN/I8BGFLVM/FWZZZYNI8BGFLVM.LARGE.jpg)

arvevans (/member/arvevans/)

yesterday

Reply

Those having problems with laser printing P-n-P Blue may be putting the wrong
in their laser printer.

(/member/arvevans/)
side up

pfred2 (/member/pfred2/)

2 days ago

Reply

I've ruined two laser printer cartridges using P-n-P Blue. It'd have been cheaper
to have sent the boards out to be made. Because laser printer cartridges
are not exactly cheap. At least not the ones that my HP L4+ laser printer takes.

(/member/pfred2/)
for me

clacktronics-uk (/member/clacktronics-uk/) (author)

pfred2
yesterday

Reply

yesterday

Reply

Interesting, my printer is a HP Laserjet 1022 so much

(/member/clacktronicsmore budget and newer. Perhaps it is something to do
uk/)
with the way and temperature it is fused at its the risk of
feeding odd stock through your laser printer! I ruined
similar HP called 1012 when I fed sticker paper
through and it stuck round the fuser roller!

pfred2 (/member/pfred2/)

clacktronics-uk

Yeah something stuck to the rollers running P-n-P Blue through my printer.
it printed would have toner all over it, like a bad
mimeograph. I tried to clean the rollers, but once it's done, it's done. When

(/member/pfred2/)
Then everything

I go back to etching again I will try photoresist out. Transfer is pretty low
resolution anyways. When it works for a lot of stuff it is great I suppose.
But I've had my problems with it too.
I can honestly say I'd never try it again.

Eric Brouwer (/member/Eric+Brouwer/) made it!

2 days ago

Reply

(/member/Eric+Brouwer/)

I agree. Easy to use, with good results. I make all my PCBs using the same
Press'n'Peel.
I do not use an iron, instead I fix the Press'n'Peel to the blank PCB with masking
tape, and pass it through a laminater 10 - 12 times.
Below some pics of what I was able to fit into a 100x80mm PCB using
Press'n'Peel.

(/files/deriv/F5Q/SPW6/I88LLXSN/F5QSPW6I88LLXSN.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FVW/8UOR/I88LLXSW/FVW8UORI88LLXSW.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F53/2222/I88LLXTD/F532222I88LLXTD.LARGE.jpg)

Eric Brouwer (/member/Eric+Brouwer/) made it!

2 days ago

Reply

(/member/Eric+Brouwer/)

I agree. Easy to use, with good results. I make all my PCBs using the same
Press'n'Peel.
I do not use an iron, instead I fix the Press'n'Peel to the blank PCB with masking
tape, and pass it through a laminater 10 - 12 times.

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FDG/IF7J/I88LNDGP/FDGIF7JI88LNDGP.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F31/02DB/I88LNDGQ/F3102DBI88LNDGQ.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FCN/H27N/I88LNDGR/FCNH27NI88LNDGR.LARGE.jpg)

acheide (/member/acheide/)

2 days ago

Reply

Nice Instructable.
(/member/acheide/)

Thanks.

About Us

Find Us

Who We Are (/about/)

Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/instructables)

Advertise (/advertise/)

Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/instructablestv)

Contact (/about/contact.jsp)

Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/instructables)

Jobs (/community/Positions-available-at-Instructables/)
Help (/id/how-to-write-a-great-instructable/)

Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/instructables)
Google+ (https://plus.google.com/+instructables)
Tumblr (http://instructables.tumblr.com)

Join our newsletter:

enter email

Join!

English

Terms
of Service (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=21959721) |
Resources
Privacy Statement (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?siteID=123112&id=21292079) |

For Teachers (/teachers/)

Mobile
Download our new apps for iOS,
Android and Windows 8!

Legal Notices & Trademarks (http://usa.autodesk.com/legal-notices-trademarks/) | Mobile Site (http://m.instructables.com)

Artists in Residence (http://www.autodesk.com/artist-in-residence/home)

(http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/pc/index?id=20781545&siteID=123112)

Gift
ProAutodesk,
Account (/account/give?sourcea=footer)
2015
Inc.
Forums (/community/)
Answers (/tag/type-question/?sort=RECENT)
Sitemap (/sitemap/)

Android
(https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?
id=com.adsk.instructables)
iOS
(https://itunes.apple.com/app/instructables/id586765571)
Windows
(http://apps.microsoft.com/windows/enus/app/7afc8194-c771-441a-959054250d6a8300)

Go Pro Today (/account/gopro?sourcea=footer)

We're Hiring! (/community/Positions-available-at-Instructables/)