The Importance of the Right Mesh count for the screen printing machine

The proper mesh count will bring a long-lasting positive outcome to the production process of your Screen Printing Machine.

Often, the new entrepreneur or the fresher with the screen printing press gets confused about choosing the right or exact mesh count. Due to this confusion and ignorance, many new and seasonal screen printer birds use similar medium-grade mesh counts for all their jobs.

The proper mesh count will make a massive difference in your silk-screen jobs. Here’s a list of the different mesh counts and the plastisol ink(s) that would work per screen printing job.

The proper mesh count will bring a long-lasting positive outcome to the production process of your screen printing machine. 

Often, the new entrepreneur or the fresher with the screen printing press gets confused about choosing the right or exact mesh count. Due to this confusion and ignorance, many new and seasonal screen printer birds use similar medium-grade mesh counts for all their jobs.

During the period of getting you far away with your printing by the mid-range 160 mesh as a screen printing entrepreneur, you should learn and precisely the result and outcome or feedback by using different screen mesh counts for various projects.

This article provides an idea to realize the mesh count for the screen printing machine. So you can choose from which point you begin when you like to print with different mesh counts to have different kinds of printing output.

Fundamentals of Screen Mesh Count:

For your realization about the screen mesh count, first, you should learn and guess the details about the mesh count. The mesh count refers to the amount of fiber kept within one square inch of the screen.

It means a 160 mesh count screen contains 160 fibers within one square inch of the screen. The screen with a lower mesh count has larger openings that permit more ink to run through, whereas finer details in your printing are achieved through a higher mesh count with less coating ink.

 Learn Which Mesh Count to Use for a Screen Printing Machine

Professional knowledge will facilitate you to decide which mesh counts would give preference to use on particular projects; however, some guidelines are described below here with by which you will help to start by using different mesh counts:

• Using a 25 to 40 mesh count screen will give you perfect glitter or glisten inks, as these inks have particles unable to pass throughout the finer mesh.
• Sixty mesh counts permit a heavy ink to be put down. For block numbers and letters on athletic jerseys, frequently used.
• 80 to 86 mesh count is commonly used to produce heat transfers, print heavy under bases, and use specialty inks, like puff ink.
• 110 to 160 mesh count screens are the most adaptable and frequently used screen printing machines. Screens on the lower end of the mesh count spectrum put down heavier ink deposits and are perfect for printing under bases or bold colors on dark fabrics. You can print a more detailed image at the higher end of the mesh count spectrum while maintaining a fair ink deposit.
• 180 to 200 mesh counts are ideal for printing full images in light inks on dark fabrics.
• 230 to 280 mesh count screens will transport comprehensive prints with a softer hand feel. On the other hand, as they permit lighter ink deposits, prints produced with these fine screens won’t be as dazzling or bright.

Other factors in choosing a Screen Mesh Count

Keep in mind some other factors while experimenting with different mesh counts in your screen printing equipment.

First, screens of diverse densities will catch different amounts of mixture; a mid-lower mesh counts holding more. When you use a lower mesh count screen, you’ll have to provide your screens longer to let the mixture set appropriately.

The ink will dry out more rapidly on finer screens while printing with water-based inks. You might want to insert a retarder into your water-based ink to keep the ink from transferring and your job from stirring.

You decide which screen mesh counts are best for your screen printing machine for which jobs, and you are the final decision-maker for which mesh count you should use.

From first to last experience and testing with different screen densities, you’ll find which screens provide you with the desired outcome when dealing with different types of projects.

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