My first film positives never came out because the ink wouldn't dry on the sheets. It was this 3m transparency film and I was printing on an epson r1800 printer.
I read a bunch of other posts here and I am trying to narrow down what I need and make sure I'm clear on everything before I buy something that's not going to work.
things to get:
RIP software for a denser ink on my positives and halftones
FastINK
FastPOSITIVE waterproof film
It sounds like I need to get both the special ink for my printer and the waterproof film which is twice as expensive as regular film. Is this true or can I use regular non-waterproof film with the FastINK or regular ink with the waterproof film?
I also saw this other stuff called Chromopaque Film Chromopaque film opens up new opportunities and lowers costs for screen printers unimagined a few years ago. By using a high quality piezo inkjet printer, RIP and Chromopaque film, a screen printer virtually has a replacement for a high priced imagesetter:
This stuff is $20 cheaper then FastPOSITIVE waterproof film and I wanted to see if anyone has used it before and if you need special ink.
I also really only want to buy a couple sheets of film positive and see how it works but I have only seen in in 100 sheets. Does anyone know where they sell smaller quantity's?
I live in the LA area more specifically between LA and Santa Barbara. If you know good place for screen printing supplies in that area let me know.
I'm sure you can get sample sheets of film for testing from the supplier. I have FastINK waterproof and the waterproof films. If you don't use these and get water on your films they will be ruined as the ink will just wipe/wash off. Just take good care of your films and do not get wet.
Hopefully someone will chime in with answers to the the rest of your questions. Good Luck
Hi, I am a new screen printer and trying to learn about making the clear positive films. I was using a laser printer at work on a ink-jet transpanecy and it works. Probably not the best. So if I wanted to by an Epson printer for at home (start up business) and films, can someone recommend a entry level printer?
Hi, I am a new screen printer and trying to learn about making the clear positive films. I was using a laser printer at work on a ink-jet transpanecy and it works. Probably not the best. So if I wanted to by an Epson printer for at home (start up business) and films, can someone recommend a entry level printer?
I got the r1800 when I was doing graphic design and its awesome. You'll need a wide format printer if you want to print larger than 8.5 X 11. The r1800 goes up to 13 inches wide and if you use a roll it can go to any length. I think the one below it is the 1280 (not sure of the exact number) but that one is a couple years old and pretty dated. The cost is $400 and up I bought mine off the epson site and it was refurbished. If you want to use it for printing other things you have to buy the epson paper or it will look like crap. It's a great printer and I've got some amazing prints from it.
It sounds like I need to get both the special ink for my printer and the waterproof film which is twice as expensive as regular film.
Is this true or can I use regular non-waterproof film with the FastINK or regular ink with the waterproof film?
The sad thing about the commonly used term waterproof film is that it is not accurate, and was coined when DYE inkjet printers were the norm. In 2003, EPSON stopped making the Stylus 3000 and moved to pigment inks because they have a 99 year life when you print pictures of the family.
DYE inks bleed like crazy with you get any water on them! Nano porous coatings on pigment inkjet films don't let the ink bleed.
Water proof film can't actually be waterproof, or water based ink would be repelled! It should be called bleed resistant film, but it got named before pigment inks were mainstream. Pigment inks must use nano porous coatings because the particles in the ink needs to be able to go into the coating. Inkjet Film for Screen Making Positives
FastINK is DYE ink sold by usscreen.com and they recommend their 'waterproof' film, rather than film with a swellable coating used for DYE ink that is half the price of nano porous film.
Nano porous coating can absorb DYE or Pigment ink, much like a gravel driveway will absorb anything you pour on it.
The reason the EPSON 3000 was such a hit was because it used DYE ink and had a media setting for Back Light Film. Alas, that is not the case anymore, because all the modern EPSON printers use Pigment Ink. EPSON Printers for making Screen Printing Positives
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How are you measuring? Ulano Technical Product Manager - NYC
Last edited by RichardGreaves; August 28th, 2007 at 09:08 PM.
The sad thing about the commonly used term waterproof film is that it is not accurate, and was coined when DYE inkjet printers were the norm. In 2003, EPSON stopped making the Stylus 3000 and moved to pigment inks because they have a 99 year life when you print pictures of the family.
DYE inks bleed like crazy with you get any water on them! Nano porous coatings on pigment inkjet films don't let the ink bleed.
Water proof film can't actually be waterproof, or water based ink would be repelled! It should be called bleed resistant film, but it got named before pigment inks were mainstream. Pigment inks must use nano porous coatings because the particles in the ink needs to be able to go into the coating. Inkjet Film for Screen Making Positives
FastINK is DYE ink sold by usscreen.com and they recommend their 'waterproof' film, rather than film with a swellable coating used for DYE ink that is half the price of nano porous film.
Nano porous coating can absorb DYE or Pigment ink, much like a gravel driveway will absorb anything you pour on it.
The reason the EPSON 3000 was such a hit was because it used DYE ink and had a media setting for Back Light Film. Alas, that is not the case anymore, because all the modern EPSON printers use Pigment Ink. EPSON Printers for making Screen Printing Positives
This is why we recommend to upgrade to dye inks with the r1800. You can use non waterproof film or waterproof (nano porous). The waterproof film with dye inks are virtually indestructable. Dye inks are also lesser priced than pigments.
Can anyone suggest an ink for printing out of an epson 2400 on film? I don't want to buy anything from UScreen and I've heard that the ink they use is nothing special-. I didn't act on the info when I should have so I was wondering if anyone else had any luck with other suppliers.
And just for anyone else- The Epson 2400 has worked really well for me, I wouldn't say it's ready to go out of the box but I had a couple of T-jet 3's that never worked so I was well trained on the Epson tools programs to get it going and cross any road blocks. As for RIP software. Accurip has to be the easiest and most reliable. No Hassle and it's pretty much ready to go as soon as you download it.
On films- I've tried a few and have not noticed any difference between porous films. I've tried fast films and the bargain film from my local distibuter. They both worked equally well.
Also- I thought I had seen somewhere that a company had developed an all black system or a bulk system to replace the other cartridges. For those that don't know, even if you only produce positives on your printer you end up using up your color cartridges to through cycles and cleaning and nozzle checks.
Can anyone suggest an ink for printing out of an epson 2400 on film? I don't want to buy anything from UScreen and I've heard that the ink they use is nothing special-. I didn't act on the info when I should have so I was wondering if anyone else had any luck with other suppliers.
And just for anyone else- The Epson 2400 has worked really well for me, I wouldn't say it's ready to go out of the box but I had a couple of T-jet 3's that never worked so I was well trained on the Epson tools programs to get it going and cross any road blocks. As for RIP software. Accurip has to be the easiest and most reliable. No Hassle and it's pretty much ready to go as soon as you download it.
On films- I've tried a few and have not noticed any difference between porous films. I've tried fast films and the bargain film from my local distibuter. They both worked equally well.
Also- I thought I had seen somewhere that a company had developed an all black system or a bulk system to replace the other cartridges. For those that don't know, even if you only produce positives on your printer you end up using up your color cartridges to through cycles and cleaning and nozzle checks.
US Screen has made a bulk system for the R1800. It sits outside the printer and attaches tubing (much like the TJet 3 setup) to the R1800. It makes all colors except #4 Matte Black "print" their HD cleaning fluid, and obviously #4 is their Fast Ink Dye ink. You use 8oz refill bottles of the HD cleaner and the Fast Ink Dye ink.
Since you don't like US Screen I won't recommend it to you, even though I know several people who use their bulk system and have great luck with it.
I still have my Epson 3000 and will NEVER get rid of it.
I also saw this other stuff called Chromopaque Film Chromopaque film opens up new opportunities and lowers costs for screen printers unimagined a few years ago. By using a high quality piezo inkjet printer, RIP and Chromopaque film, a screen printer virtually has a replacement for a high priced imagesetter:
This stuff is $20 cheaper then FastPOSITIVE waterproof film and I wanted to see if anyone has used it before and if you need special ink.
I bought a box of the Chromopaque from Screener's Choice to run through my HP9800 using Ghostscript, and I've got to tell you, the films are as dense and sharp as any I got from an Epson 2200 using FastRip and FastInk. I'd been using regular film, which worked good enough, but the positives I'm getting now are the best I've had. I had to adjust my printer settings, but I actually set them to use less ink than before with the other film.
I had the same problem with my ink & film from US Screen Printing Institute with the Epson printer. I had this problem time after time for months & they kept telling me they had sent me a bad batch of ink. They could never correct the problem for me so I packed the whole thing up and send it back for a refund. Drove Me crazy.
printing film positive 
