this post was submitted on 12 Apr 2024
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[–] Poayjay@lemmy.world 22 points 7 months ago (1 children)

My wife has a cricut. It’s a little CNC plotter table that can make custom stickers, signs, and whatnot with a very clean UI. They are pretty popular with the stay-at-home mom crowd. If you know a better way to high quality color prints on specialty papers I’d love to hear it. I know that sounds sarcastic, but I mean that with absolutely zero sarcasm. Please tell me.

[–] towerful@programming.dev 19 points 7 months ago (1 children)

That sounds like a legitimate use case, tbh.
Sometimes the complexity of a "better" system isn't worth it when a "lesser"-but-easier system exists that produces satisfactory results.

I know PCB etching enthusiasts have developed a way to transfer laser toner onto copper PCBs.
I wonder if there is a similar system that could be done, but between print paper and product paper.

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 9 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The transfer is done because it's really hard to feed a PCB into a printer.

Color is the main concern.

[–] towerful@programming.dev 2 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Ah, right enough. I remember destroying a $20 inkjet so I could feed PCBs through it.
I stopped prototyping my own PCBs before I got into UV transfer or toner transfer. Its been a good many years

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

One lab I was in used a CNC mill to route boards. It was pretty effective, and really great for custom geometry like encoders formed to the back of motors or boards doubling as structural components.

[–] towerful@programming.dev 1 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I bought a 3d printer with an eye to get back into PCB fab... Either by swapping to a CNC head, or by printing plastic onto PCB.
I just don't make enough PCBs these days to justify the FAFF of making it work. Which is a shame. I bet if have a lot of fun