How to Etch With Your Printer

Printed circuit boards start covered in copper and have everything except the circuit paths etched away.

Whether you're etching copper for a printed circuit board or etching glass for a craft project, you can use your laser printer to create a stencil that is impervious to the etching material. Anything you can design on your computer, you can then print out using the toner of a laser printer to block the corrosive chemicals in the etching compound and leave a precise pattern on your chosen material. The process for etching PCBs and glass is very similar, though the etching compound is different.

Things You'll Need

• Glass or copper-clad laminate substrate
• Glass or copper-specific etching solution
• Glossy magazine paper or PnP Blue Transfer Paper
• Disposable brush
• Plastic bowl
• Iron
• Masking tape
• Cotton towel
• Glass cleaner or metal polish
• Acetone
• Safety glasses
• Latex gloves
• Nail polish

Instructions

1. Create the negative image on your computer. It should show, in black, all of the areas that you do not want to etch, and all of the areas you want etched should be empty. If you are etching words, be sure to create a mirror image before printing.

2. Load the paper, one sheet at a time, into your laser printer. Set the print options for high-contrast, all-black printing. Do not use color ink. You need solid areas of toner with no holes so that the etching compound won't leak through and ruin your design.

3. Print the design onto your paper. Let the paper cool before handling it -- a minute our two is sufficient.

4. Clean the substrate meticulously. Any stray dust or grease and ruin the etching process. Dry it completely.

5. Flip the paper so the ink-side is touching the substrate. Carefully line up the paper on the substrate and tape it down.

6. Set the substrate on the cotton towel so the paper is facing up. Set your iron to the highest temperature and press it evenly across the paper. Thoroughly heat the paper for at least five minutes. Turn off the iron and set it aside. Wait for the glass to cool completely before handling.

7. Remove the paper. If you are using the glossy magazine paper, remove the tape and run the glass under water until the paper softens. Rub the paper off with your finger; do not use your nails, only the pad of your finger. If you're using the PnP Transfer Paper, remove the tape and pull the paper off, starting in one corner and gently lifting up and away from the substrate.

8. Correct any mistakes in the design with nail polish. Wait for the polish to dry.

9. Put on gloves and safety glasses. For the glass etching, brush on the etching compound, wait five minutes and rinse it off. If you are etching a PCB, put the board into a dish of the etching solution, making sure that entire board is completely covered. Always use a plastic container. Agitate the liquid every minute or two. Flip the board after five minutes and let it soak for another five minutes. Examine the etching. If the area without the ink isn't completely bare, continue to soak it and agitating the solution for as long as necessary. Cooler air temperatures increase the etching time. When done, remove the PCB and rinse it thoroughly.

10. Clean off the ink with acetone -- nail polish remover or paint thinner -- then clean and dry the substrate again.

Tips & Warnings

• You can reuse the etching solution for PCBs several times.

• Etching solutions are caustic chemicals that eat through glass or metal. Use extreme caution, and wear gloves and eye protection.

References

• Ricci Bitti: How to Make PCBs at Home
• Etsy: Glass Photo Etching