Paper PCBs, an Introduction

For all kind of media installation based on controller and electronics one requires printed circuit boards (PCB's). It can be quite a task to get the perfect one that matches your needs. Due to industrial standards it takes some time and money to get them manufactured. Another option is to create them by yourself, but most likely you'll end up with a lot of dangerous chemicals and find yourself drilling hundreds of holes.

Paperboards or Paper PCBs are a smart way to avoid the trouble. Paper PCBs is the fastest and the most flexible rapid prototyping system developed by Wolfgang Spahn since 2008. It is an open hardware system that allows you to create PCB's easily. You simply need a drawing program like Gimp, Inkscape or Photoshop to design or modify them on your computer (Fritzing will also do). Just print it and stick the printed circuit on a standard protoboard (available at every electronic shop) and voilà - there is your proper PCB. The system allows you to get an individual colorful design, too.

One can use Paper PCB's as a perfect extension to the Arduino system. Furthermore you can also use them to create your own Paperduino. Paper-PCB's provide a modular system that allows you to combine different Paperboards to create real complex machines.

Here is a Manual for building your own Paper-PCB.