Welcome! Lets start this article by answering some Frequently Asked Questions:

What is Press n Peel?
Press n Peel is a special material used to create Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) easily and quickly at the comfort of your home.

Can a total beginner use it?
Of course! The procedure may seem difficult when you first read it, and to be honest you mail fail the very first time. However when you actually complete your first PCB you will realize that it is not so difficult after all! Every time you complete a PCB you will improve and learn on your mistakes. The first step is the difficult one.

How long does it take to create one PCB?
Well that depends. The time needed varies according to your speed as well as the etching method. But it should not take you more than 1.5 hours from printing to the final result.

Can Press n Peel used for complex designs?
Yes. Press n Peel performs very well with complex designs as long as you don’t overdo it. If you keep the tracks reasonably distant, it should be no problem. But if you are first starting, try a simple design and then move on to more complex.

What equipment do I need?
First of all you should know that in order to print out the Press n Peel sheet you need a laser printer. If you don’t have a laser printer you can photocopy your design on a Press n Peel sheet with a photocopy machine (or a laser fax machine). Don’t try anything else.

The rest of the equipment:

* A plastic container
* Etching chemical - Ferric Chloride
* Copper laminated board
* Iron (yes that same thing you use to iron your clothes!)
* Driller to drill holes for the components – Can buy from Dremmel for best quality
* Press n Peel sheets – I buy from this press n peel supplier

Seems like a lot of stuff? Not really! The next part of the article will briefly describe the manufacturing part. Make sure that during the whole procedure you take the necessary safety measures. Protect your eyes and hands.

1.First of all you need to design your circuit! If you haven’t done that already I would suggest you to use Eagle design software. It is FREE and does a really good job. After you have your design ready print it using a laser printer of photocopier as mentioned above in the article. Make sure you mirror your design before printing it on the Press n Peel sheet.

2. After that clean the copper laminated board with a steel sponge until looks crystal clear! Make sure you don’t leave any oily fingertips on the copper side.

3. Then place the Press n Peel sheet with your design facing the copper side of the board. Place it carefully at the correct position and then use the hot iron on top. Be very careful not to move the Press n Peel sheet while you iron it. This is very likely to happen when you start ironing. Therefore it is best to first just place and press the iron on the board and after 20 or so seconds start moving it. Make sure you iron all the area and apply pressure evenly for best results. Do this for about 8-10 minutes.

4. When you are finished with ironing, leave the board to cool down to about room temperature. Then slowly remove the Press n Peel sheet check that the design transfer was done successfully.

5. Now you need of remove the excess copper (all the copper outside of your design). To do that place the etching chemical (Ferric Chloride) in the container and then place your board in there. There are different techniques that you can speed up the reaction and have quicker results, like warming up the chemical before etching. Observe your board regularly and remove it from the container when ready.

6. Use running water and steel sponge to clean your board. You should be left with a nice crystal clear and shinny PCB! Congratulations!

7. Final step is to drill the holes. It is best to use 1.0mm and 0.8mm drills for the holes. Be careful as they break easily.