Abstract: A combination of improved coatability of a coating composition onto an anionic surfactant-containing contiguous layer of a radiation-sensitive or non-radiation sensitive film element, plus better control of static electricity on the resulting coated film element, especially on a radiation sensitive photographic element, results from using a coating composition containing a surfactant mixture of (a) a certain type of cationic perfluorinated alkyl surfactant, such as perfluorooctylsulfonamido-(N-propyl-3-N,N,N-trimethyl) ammonium iodide, with (b) a certain type of nonionic alkylphenoxypoly(propylene oxide) surfactant, such as para-isononylphenoxy decaglycidol, as a coating aid in the application of fluid coatings, preferably by simultaneous coating techniques, to form multiple layers in an element during the making of the element. The presence of a hydrophilic polymeric binder, such as gelatin, in the coating composition is desirable.