Screen Mesh Selector
Four questions, one recommendation. Tell the tool what you're printing, on what, at what detail level, with which ink — it filters a mesh database through the physical rules that actually govern mesh selection (particle clearance, halftone support, minimum printable line) and ranks what survives by ink-deposit match. Every recommendation shows its working, so you learn the logic instead of just taking a number.
How the recommendation works
The tool applies three hard rules first — a mesh that breaks any of them is eliminated, no matter how popular it is:
- Particle clearance. The mesh opening must be at least 3× the largest pigment or flake particle in your ink. Push 200 µm glitter through a 60 µm opening and the screen clogs on the third print.
- Halftone support. For halftone work, mesh count must be roughly 4–5× the line screen (LPI). At 45 LPI that means at least a 180 mesh/inch screen; at 55 LPI, 230 and up. Below that ratio the dots have no thread to anchor to and wash out.
- Minimum printable line. A mesh can only hold a line wider than about two thread diameters plus one opening. This is why "fine detail" eliminates coarse meshes even when the ink would flow through them.
Whatever survives is then scored by theoretical ink deposit (mesh thickness × open area): textiles and absorbent surfaces want a heavy deposit, smooth substrates and UV inks want a thin, controlled one. The recommendation is the best deposit match among the survivors; the alternatives show you one step finer and one step coarser.
Reading the result
Mesh is specified two ways: threads per centimeter (T) — the European/Asian convention — and threads per inch (mesh), the US convention. 77T and 196 mesh are the same fabric. The converter below handles the math.
Specifications here assume standard (M-grade) thread polyester mesh, with nominal thread diameters from published Sefar PET 1500 data; openings, open area and ink volume are calculated from those nominals. Thin-thread (S-grade) variants of the same count give you a larger opening and more deposit; HD threads give durability. At 155 mesh/inch and above, choose yellow-dyed mesh — it stops UV light scatter during exposure and keeps fine dots sharp.
These are proven starting points, not guarantees. Ink batches, emulsion thickness, tension and squeegee setup all move the result. Always run a test print before committing a production run — that's not caution, that's just screen printing.
Convert between T-count and mesh/inch, or check a mesh's theoretical opening: mesh count converter. New to the vocabulary? Screen printing mesh terms, explained covers opening, open area and thread grades with diagrams.