What is Clear Polyester Montage Film?
Clear polyester montage film, traditionally also known in the graphic arts as Astralon or clear acetate, is a thin transparent film used for colour registration, graphic montage and the preparation of films and positives.
This box contains 100 sheets of 100 micron clear polyester film, with antistatic treatment on both sides, excellent transparency and high dimensional stability.
The 100 micron thickness provides a useful balance between flexibility and resistance, making the film easy to handle when positioning artwork, registering colours or assembling different elements of a positive.
The 100-sheet box is particularly suitable for screen printing workshops, printmaking studios, art schools and professionals who use clear registration and montage film regularly.
Clear Film for Screen Printing Registration
One of the main uses of this clear polyester film is multi-colour registration in screen printing.
A sheet can be placed on the printing table and used to make a test print before printing onto the final substrate. Because the film is highly transparent, the printed image remains clearly visible and can be used as a reference to position the paper, textile or other substrate correctly.
This makes it possible to check the position of the image, adjust registration and align successive colours before starting the final print run.
It is a simple and highly practical registration method for manual screen printing, particularly when working with multi-colour prints where accurate alignment between screens is essential.
When working with water-based inks, the film can also be cleaned and reused for registration as long as its surface remains in good condition.
Montage Film for Screen Printing Positives
In traditional graphic arts, clear polyester film is also widely used as a montage surface for films and positives.
Different elements can be positioned, combined and assembled on the transparent sheet to create the final artwork before exposure. This is particularly useful when working with separate drawings, text, halftones, masks or pieces taken from other positives.
Its transparency also makes it easier to plan the registration between different colour separations, compare the position of individual elements and build more complex compositions manually.
This type of montage remains especially useful in artistic screen printing and other photomechanical processes where the final positive is not necessarily generated as a single digital file.
Creating Hand-Drawn Positives
The film can also be used as a transparent support for hand-drawn screen printing positives.
Opaque and light-blocking drawing materials can be applied directly to the surface to create marks, lines, shapes and images that will block the exposure light.
This makes the film particularly interesting for artists and printmakers who want to combine photographic or digital elements with manual drawing, collage, masks or direct graphic intervention.
Kuretake light-blocking markers, Posca markers and suitable opaque drawing materials such as Lascaux Tusche can be used depending on the type of artwork and effect required.
Applications Beyond Screen Printing
Although colour registration and positive preparation for screen printing are two of its main applications, clear polyester montage film can be used in many other photomechanical and photosensitive printing processes.
It is suitable for preparing artwork, masks, registrations and manual positives for techniques such as offset printing, photopolymer, letterpress, photogravure, cyanotype and alternative photographic processes.
The sheets can also be used for transparent drawing, overlays, collage, composition and other creative applications where a thin, clear and dimensionally stable film is required.
Technical Characteristics
The main characteristics of this clear montage and registration film are:
- 100 micron clear polyester film
- Antistatic treatment on both sides
- Excellent transparency
- High dimensional stability
- Thin and flexible
- Easy to handle and position
- Suitable for screen printing registration and graphic montage
- Suitable for manual positives and photomechanical artwork
- Box of 100 sheets
Available Sizes
The box of 100 sheets is available in two sizes:
Both sizes can be selected directly from the product options.
Other sizes may also be available on request.
Registration Film vs Inkjet and Laser Positive Film
It is important to distinguish this material from films specifically designed for digital positive printing.
This clear polyester film is particularly suitable for screen printing registration, manual positives and graphic montage. If the positive is going to be printed directly with a printer, we recommend using a film designed for the corresponding technology:
These materials have surfaces specifically prepared for their respective printing systems, while Astralon is especially useful as a transparent working surface for registration, montage and manual artwork.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Astralon used for in screen printing?
Astralon can be used as a clear registration film for positioning and aligning colours during screen printing. It is also useful for assembling films, preparing positives and creating hand-drawn artwork for exposure.
Is Astralon the same as acetate?
The terms Astralon and acetate are often used generically in graphic arts to describe transparent montage sheets. This particular product is technically a clear polyester film, rather than cellulose acetate.
Is this polyester film antistatic?
Yes. The film has an antistatic treatment on both sides, making it particularly convenient for handling, montage and graphic arts applications.
Can I use it for multi-colour screen printing registration?
Yes. This is one of its main applications. A test image can be printed onto the transparent film and then used to position the final substrate and check the alignment of successive colours.
Can I make hand-drawn screen printing positives with it?
Yes. The transparent surface can be drawn on using sufficiently opaque materials to create manual positives for screen exposure.
Can I use it to assemble different films or positives?
Yes. Its transparency and dimensional stability make it particularly suitable for combining, positioning and registering different elements of a positive before exposure.
Can I print directly onto it with an Inkjet or laser printer?
This product is primarily intended for registration, montage and manual positive preparation. For digitally printed positives, we recommend using film specifically coated for Inkjet or laser printing.
Can the sheets be reused?
Yes. When used for registration, particularly with water-based inks, the sheets can be cleaned and reused as long as the surface remains in suitable condition.
Why choose the box of 100 sheets instead of individual sheets?
The box is intended for workshops, schools and printmakers who use registration or montage film regularly. It provides a practical stock of material for repeated screen printing, photomechanical and artwork preparation tasks.
