thermal paper for pcb circuit

Thermal Transfer Paper for PCB Fabrication

Overview:

Thermal transfer paper (sometimes called toner transfer paper) is used to transfer PCB artwork onto copper-clad boards. By printing your PCB design onto the paper using a laser printer or copier, and then applying heat (typically with an electric iron or laminator), the toner is transferred directly onto the copper. After a brief chemical etch, the toner serves as a resist to form the desired circuit layout—a popular method for DIY, single- or double-sided boards.

Key Features:

• One-time-use but cost-effective

• Can achieve fine trace resolution (~0.15 mm)

• Works well with standard PCB etchants like ferric chloride or ammonium persulfate

• Requires minimal tools—no need for UV exposure setups

Materials & Process Summary:

1. Print PCB design using laser printer onto thermal transfer paper

2. Place artwork (toner side down) on cleaned copper board

3. Apply heat (with iron or laminator) to fix toner to board

4. Soak/peel to remove paper—toner remains on copper

5. Etch the board to remove exposed copper

6. Strip toner to reveal the final circuit

Applications:

• DIY PCB creation for Arduino, ESP32, Raspberry Pi projects

• Single- to double-sided board fabrication

• Perfect for hobbyists, small-volume prototyping, and educational purposes

Resources:

• 🎥 YouTube – Thermal PCB Transfer Tutorial:

• https://youtu.be/haqP8xhsYas?si=nDpT1XjDy-R-wnqf