A film receptive to a variety of different classes or kinds of inks, such as
water
based inks, solvent based inks and UV cured inks. The film includes a water based
latex polymer, such as transparent film-forming core/shell latex polymers, a polar
polymer, such as polymers having an ionic component to increase the receptivity
of the coating to water-based inks, and a surfactant, such as an alkyaryl sulfonate,
to prevent agglomeration of the latex polymer before it is formed into film. The
preferred latex polymer is a core/shell latex polymer. The preferred polar polymer
is chemically compatible with latex polymers and is sufficiently ionic or polar
to improve the printability onto the film of water-based inks. The surfactant,
which may be in the latex as manufactured or may be added separately, has a molecular
structure that includes at least one hydrophobic moiety and at least one anionic
group such as sulfates, sulfonates and the like.
