EPSON inkjet printers can be used as a replacement for a high priced imagesetters and low quality laser printers. To make positives with an inkjet printer, you must have an absorbent coating on clear film. Ulano inkjet films are designed to make positives and are made in the USA.

Pigment Inkjet Film

EPSON has replaced dye ink with pigment ink because it resists fading for up to 99 years. This improves family snapshots, but doesn't help making UV opaque positives.

Modern inkjet inks used for positives are water based and still need time to evaporate and dry. Ink manufacturers need to balance nozzle maintenance and the desire to have an ink that dries fast after printing so a positive can be used to make a screen. Glycol or glycerol humectant additives in the water based carrier that are used to to keep the pigments in suspension, retard drying and prevent nozzle blockage need to evaporate the same way stencil coatings need to dry.

The nanoporous structure of the coating controls the ink spread for image sharpness. Pigment ink particles are coated with a resin so they can be controlled with piezo print heads.

• Ink dries on the nano particles of the coating
• Very fast drying and instantly dry to the touch
• Anti-Static Coating prevents sheets from sticking together
• Absorbent Coating prevents ink moisture from vacuum

Imagine a nano porous coating as a jar of marbles. Pigment or Dye ink is absorbed into the coating by capillary action and stains the microscopic particles in the coating. It appears to be dry to the touch, but the liquid carrier still has to evaporate. A benefit of the nano porous coating is that the positive can be stacked and handled very quickly. If it is a humid day, the ink might not dry and the vacuum of the exposure unit can pull the wet ink out of the film coating and stain the stencil during exposure. Because the positive has lost some ink during the process, it shouldn't be used again.

Inkjet films are coated on 5 mil polyester. The coating loves water which is the carrier for the ink. The polyester side is very shiny and doesn't absorb water. You can test the film for the coated side by wetting your fingers and pinching the film on both sides. The coated side will get sticky just like capillary film. Ulano cuts a notch in the upper right corner of the coated side so you don't have to test. Rolls are coiled with the coated side out, ready to go into the printer.

Dye Inkjet Film

Ink absorption occurs as a result of the swelling action. Ink is sealed in the coating. Longer drying time than pigment film. Only accepts dye ink. Anti-Static Coating prevents sheets from sticking together. Easily re-swells with water that causes damage

RIP Software for halftones and opacity

Ulano has partnered with iProof Systems PowerRIP for a complete solution for making positives with your graphic software. PowerRIP converts your Postscript™ output into EPSON output. Increased ink deposit control in picoliters makes sure you get greater than 2.8 - 3.5 UV density and halftone control from 30 to 150 line halftones.