Which do you have? An ink jet or a laser? You use inkjet film in an inkjet printer and laser film in a laser printer.
Laser printers use heat to fuse the toner to the film and this heat process can cause the film (or vellum if you use that instead of film) to shrink. This shrinkage (when it happens) can make registration of multiple color prints difficult or even impossible. Many laser printers (probably not the least expensive ones though) are postscript enabled which makes the printing of halftones possible. Also many laser printers do not print dark enough making it necessary to spray coatings on the printed film/vellum to darken the print adaquately for burning screens.
Inkjet printers do not use heat, so there is never a shrinkage problem and therefore no registration problem. Most inkjet printers will allow for adjustments to print a very dark coat of ink which results in a good positive for burning screens. Most inkjet printers are not postscript enabled which necessitates the use of a third-party software to print half-tones. Some are free and some are not. Most of theses programs (they are called RIP's) that have to be purchased are for certain Epson printers, although there are some programs that have been made for others as well.
Which ever you use, laser or inkjet, there is both film (clear transparency) and vellum (frosted semi-transparent). The vellum is usually less expensive, but many screen printers use it for single-color, low-detail positives because the contrast between the printed surface of the vellum and the unprinted is not as great as it is for the same image printed on film (clear transparency).
also inkjet films will bleed if you get near water. there is a spray to help with that. Also laser films sometimes get out of registration because of the heat to the paper. best thing tocreate films is an imagesetter...
Try Lasermax laser printer film. I get it from Brian at Pocono Screen. He has a sample pack for $5 for 10 sheets. Doesn't shrink like normal vellum thru laser printers.
what's the working difference between waterproof and non-waterproof ink jet films? Other than I assume if i spill my cup of coffee on the waterproof that i can just wipe it off and the film won't be ruined.... From what I saw at my supplier's website, waterproof is around 3 times as much. Is it worth it?
what's the working difference between waterproof and non-waterproof ink jet films? Other than I assume if i spill my cup of coffee on the waterproof that i can just wipe it off and the film won't be ruined.... From what I saw at my supplier's website, waterproof is around 3 times as much. Is it worth it?
Waterproof doesn't have to be 2 to 3 times as much. Our waterproof film is about $65-$75 more than other non-waterproof brands (or 13x18 sheets). Less than double the cost.
The biggest difference is longevity and durability of the films. For waterproof films to be effective, dye based inks are required. But you can use both dye and pigment inks. For non-waterproof films, you can't use pigment inks.
Look at all of Epson's new printers on the market and you will find they are all pigment based inks. So it's waterproof film or switch to dye inks and use non-waterproof or waterproof. That's why a lot of our customers will buy new printers and set up them up with dye based inks.
I never realized that vellum paper also shrinks. I always thought it didn't
I've tested the Kimoto brand frosted laser film through a very hot laser printer and I go 0% shrinking. It's about the only thing I could recommend for others for laser since I know it performs extremely well.
Ink Jet Film or Laser Film 
