I avoid SMD, I am not into that sort of thing.

Now that I am in my 70's my dexterity isn't good enough for placing and soldering SMD's.

In my younger days, before I had a CNC machine, I tried various etch mask methods with variable success. In fact I have probably still got the letraset type PCB transfer symbols in a file somewhere, but I doubt if they will stick now, they hardly did when they were fresh.