Monofilament mesh is the product you will notice in nearly all screen printing retailers right this moment. Because the term mono would infer, this mesh is composed of single polyester threads woven collectively.

The different mesh numbers are determined by mesh count. That is the number of threads per inch in your mesh fabric. Lower mesh counts (fewer threads per inch) translates to extra ink lay down. So, an 86 mesh will lay down extra ink than a 305 mesh. Different inks, totally different substrates, our graphic, the colour of our garment, all impact the mesh rely we use.

The precise Mesh for the precise Job

The mesh you choose will depend on 1.) the ink you choose to make use of, 2.) the garment you plan to print, and 3.) the graphic occurring that garment.Below are some fundamental recommendations based on inks and images:

– 30 Mesh: Glitter or Crystallina

– 60 Mesh: Athletic Print (soccer jerseys for instance)

– 86 Mesh: Heavy Ink on Dark Garments, Puff Ink, Plastisol Transfers

– a hundred and ten Mesh: Underbase for Heavy Block Letters or Artwork

– 156 Mesh: General Prints on Light Garments

– 196 Mesh: Multi-coloration Prints on Light Garments, Jackets

– 230 Mesh: Underbase for Simulated Process, Suede Ink

– 305 Mesh: Process Inks for Light Garments, Simulated Process Overprints

Don’t let the listing overwhelm you. In the average screen printing shop, you’ll have perhaps 5 completely different mesh counts readily available, depending on the markets through which you promote.

Numbers May Not MatchThe numbers you see above are frequent in the trade, however you would possibly very effectively see numbers which can be slightly different. For instance, your supplier might let you know they promote 158 mesh, and not 156. So long as you are very close, it’s all the same.

The reason for the shut-however-completely different numbers is in the truth that mesh is manufactured in Europe and Asia. Since these merchandise are made outdoors the U.S., they are measured in metric numbers and never inches. When the mesh is imported, the numbers are recalculated and the product relabeled. When you have any concerns relating to exactly where along with the best way to utilize screen printing mesh (https://urlscan.io/result/7fe2f5b7-8c1c-4752-abc7-9b43f35a14d8), you possibly can call us at our website. So, some numbers can be off by a one or two, but the products are just about the same.

The Halftone/Mesh Formulas

Halftone dots are used to either provide the notion of a shade of the colour you’re printing, or to mix colours in course of printing or simulated process printing. Since we’re printing small dots, we should use the correct mesh count that can hold these dots and allow us to print them. Here’s how we decide each the mesh and the halftone dots we are able to hold and print.

Let’s start with the halftone dot. To find out the right mesh to make use of with a particular dot, we multiply by 4.5.

Dot Size x 4.5 = Mesh Count

For example, let’s say we have now artwork with 35 LPI (lines per inch) dots:

35 LPI x 4.5 = 157.5 Mesh Count

Your mesh must be at the least 157.5 or larger to carry you 35 LPI halftone dots. 156 mesh is shut enough. In fact, some instructors will inform you to use 4 fairly than 4.5 as your multiplier, so there’s some wiggle room when doing this calculation.

Now, let’s assume we have now a limited variety of screens out there, and for coustic mesh this job in the present day the very best mesh depend now we have on hand is a 196. We will reverse our system and divide mesh depend by 4.5 to determine the maximum dot size we can hold and print on this display.

Mesh Count / 4.5 = LPI

As one other instance:

196 Mesh Count / 4.5 = 43.5 LPI

The smallest dot we will print on our 196 mesh will be roughly 43.Four LPI.

Using the right mesh is half the battle in display screen printing. Relating to printing halftone dots, correct mesh shall be 90% of our manufacturing floor battle.