johnman9146 wrote:
That kind of misses the point. I am looking to see if anyone knows of a suitable etch resist ink, and/or a suitable soldermask ink.
If I do decide to go your way and do the transparancy method with UV sensitive photoresist, I have a few questions.
How do I know when I have the proper exposure?
Can you over-expose?
How dark black does the transparancy need to be for this method to be effective?
I have access to some pretty sophisticated hardware if I do decide to try this method. Items such as a photoplotter, a vacuum backed UV table (for exposing printing plates) and more, but it is a hassle to go there for all the neat toys.
I don't think there would be any issues with the image size not being exactly 100% as it is a professional photoplotter designed to make printing plates for magazine reproduction.
Potentially, I may just have to experiment with different inks if nobody has any suggestions.
Does anyone print legends on thier prototype boards?
Does anyone use anything to add a soldermask?
Does anyone even use any type of conformal coating?
How much knowledge to you have on ink formulations ? Its an entire field of expertise. Inkjet ink chemists are specialized people. You want to develop your own inkjet ink that gives high image quality AND can also forms a stable acid etch resist ? ! My best bet would search and see if anyone else has done it.
The reason why everyone uses photoresists is because it works the best. The phototool is important, and I've only ever seen good ones from an inkjet./transparency, I've also seen many more bad ones from various inkjets and inkjet transparencies. Its important that the ink and transparency are compatible with each other, otherwise you get pin holes, banding and rough edges. The Epson stylus series do very good job with their dye based black inks on their transparency. Only problem they are expensive. I suspect Epson have patented their transparency because no one else make one the same. You can print on it then dunk it in water and nothing happens to the ink. There are other transparencies that work well with the Epson black ink. The HP inkjets use a pigment black and do not go so well on Epson transparencies. Use HP transparencies with HP ink, the results are quite ok.
