A printhead or other droplet emitter is manufactured integrally with a flexible circuit. Preferred methods of manufacturing a droplet emitter comprise the steps of: creating metal traces, preferably deposited using a metal oxide precursor; patterning a sacrificial photoresist to create ink channels and nozzle chambers; depositing piezoelectrically active material over the metal traces and sacrificial photoresist; patterning vias through the piezo-electrically active material to act as nozzles and openings to ink reservoirs; and flushing out the photoresist. The piezo-electrically active material is preferably a mixture of PZT and PVDF.