HELP: Theres a clear darker background on my transparency around my image

[yoonbo]

Hello my fellow catspit community!

I am getting into screen printing and starting from the very bottom of understanding the entire process. As you guys probably will assume, I've come across various problems and questions.

I am having trouble resolving my most recently problem. When I print my design (which will be placed against my screen before putting the screen and design in the exposure unit for the emulsion to harden around the design) there is a dark clear background on my transparency even though in photoshop the background is transparent (the checkered background). It's still clear but it's not the same clearness as the transparency paper. I'm wondering how I would be able to get rid of this darker clear background that gets printed with my design.
I've attempted to play with the settings but nothing gets rid of that clear dark background around my design.
I am using a Epson Surecolor p400
and "Rite Film Premium Waterproof Film - 13x19in" as the transparency paper

Any advice or thoughts would be extremely helpful
Thank you in advanced!

[yoonbo]

Here is some context about the settings available to me as well as what I used (I tried both color handling: "printer manages colors" and "photoshop manages colors")

[Catspit Productions]

Unfortunately I use Adobe Illustrator for all of my screen printing artwork. Photoshop is for photographs while AI or Corel Draw is for vector graphic art. So you will have to consult someone who is proficient with PS.

Usually something like this means there is something invisible in the file that is causing that to print something where it should not.