Company Blog

Weave structure

Plain weave versus twill weave.

With plain weave, each thread goes under one perpendicular thread and over the next. With twill weave, a given thread follows an under-one/over-two pattern.

Mesh counts higher than 305 may be woven with plain or twill patterns. Twill mesh typically deposits more ink than the same or even a lower mesh count of plain weave.

Mesh opening

The dimensions of the mesh openings affect stencil support, meter ink flow and contribute to the print's appearance.

The best mesh for screen printing is commonly woven out of monofilament polyester and it functions both as support for the stencil and to meter the amount of ink deposited on the substrate. The dimensions of the mesh count, percentage of open area and thread thickness all contribute to the appearance of the end product. You will find that accurate measurements of these mesh specifications are supplied by the manufacturer. Poor image registration, image elongation and uneven ink deposits can result from the improper selection or preparation of the mesh fabric.

Thread structure

The differences between multi-filament and mono-filament screen-printing mesh.

Here is an easy choice: when faced with multi-filament and monofilament polyester mesh, pick high-quality monofilament. Man-made fibers are made with either multiple or single filaments. Monofilament is a single smooth round fiber used in weaving mesh.

Question

When printing four-color process, we know the importance of the angles used for the dots on the color separations. We also know we have to avoid certain combinations of mesh count with dots per inch on the positive in order to avoid moiré. What we are looking for are some guidelines on which mesh specification is most suitable for printing four-color process, and how fine a dot we should be able to hold.

Water Based Ink vs Plastisol

Water-based ink versus plastisol: one is made of water and one is made of plastic. Simple. But while the difference is easy enough to read in the names, how this difference impacts your screenprint takes a little more research. We're going to look more in depth at each type, advantages and disadvantages, and use the differences to see which one would work best for you.