Do-It-Yourself PCB

Print your circuit design. Use an inkjet or laser printer and glossy photo paper. The circuits should be printed in pure black to ensure a solid transfer to the circuit board.

Pull the design out of the printer immediately after it is finished printing and press it, ink side down, against the circuit board. Very firmly press the iron over the design and iron over it for five to 10 minutes so that the ink transfers over to the circuit board.

Fill the dish tub with warm soapy water. Place the circuit board in the water to soak for 10 minutes. Once the paper and the board has been thoroughly soaked, rub the paper off the board with your hands until it is all gone.

Mix your etchant solution as directed and follow the directions for using this solution to etch a design onto a circuit board. Every solution will have slightly different ingredients and instructions, but you will likely need to sprinkle the solution over the PCB. You may need to boil a pot of water and place the board in the water for several minutes. Following this, you will likely need to wash the board off in cold water and scrub with steel wool. When this is done, the ink will disappear and underneath will be revealed a copper-colored etching of the design.

Drill holes in the board to mount your components. Look over the design and find where the various components will be located, placing them on the board and marking how far apart the leads are with a pencil. Mount a 1 mm drill bit onto your drill and make the holes. Push the leads of the components into the holes, without scratching the printed circuit.