Mesh Count Selector
Match your screen to your ink and your design — pick an ink type and a detail level to get a recommended mesh-count range and a solid starting number for your next screen.
Recommended mesh count
The standard plastisol range for typical spot-color designs with moderate detail.
Choosing a mesh count
Mesh count is a trade-off between how much ink passes through the screen and how much detail the weave can hold. Low counts (60–110) are open and built for heavy, opaque deposits — bold spot color, puff additive, and glitter flake. High counts (200 and up) are tight and built to hold fine lines, small text, and halftone dots without flooding.
Ink chemistry matters too: plastisol is a thick paste that needs a relatively open weave to transfer a good deposit, while thinner water-based and discharge inks can run a notch tighter at the same detail level. This tool combines both factors into one recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does mesh count actually measure?
Mesh count is the number of threads per linear inch of the screen fabric. A low count (like 60) is a coarse, open weave with big gaps between threads; a high count (like 305) is a fine, tight weave. The tighter the weave, the less ink passes through per stroke, but the finer the detail it can hold.
Why does ink type change the recommended mesh count?
Thicker pastes like plastisol need a more open mesh to pass through in a usable deposit, while thinner inks like water-based and discharge can — and often should — go through a tighter mesh, since they don't need as much open area to transfer enough ink. Ink with large particles, like glitter flake or puff additive, needs a very open mesh regardless of the art.
What happens if I use too tight a mesh for my ink?
The deposit comes out thin, patchy, or starved of ink entirely — thick pastes and large particulates can't force their way through a fine weave. You may also see the squeegee 'skip' or the print looking faded compared to a test on a more open screen.
What happens if I use too open a mesh for fine detail?
Small text and halftone dots blur together or fill in solid, because too much ink floods through and bleeds sideways before it can set. Fine detail specifically needs the tighter end of the range to hold its shape.
Educational guide only, based on commonly cited screen-printing ranges — not a physical calculation. Always test a screen on scrap fabric before committing to a full run.