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Mesh Counts
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Mesh count refers to the fineness of screen mesh - the value describes the number of threads per centimetre. You get US mesh counts and UK mesh counts and they are different due to the US using Imperial measuremments (Inches) and the UK using Metric (centimetres).
For example 43T is metric and means 43 threads per centimetre = which is approximately 109 lines per inch.
Below is a US count / Metric count conversion found online :
38 - 15T
61 - 24T
86 - 34T
110 - 43T
125 - 49T
140 - 55T
158 - 62T
196 - 77T
230 - 90T
255 - 100T
280 - 110T
305 - 120T
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close up of 43T Mesh with Rubylith stencil
Types of inks and materials to be printed onto with different mesh counts: *
21T 24T - Glitter inks, Thicker inks.
32T 43T - Textile inks, Opaque inks textile, T-shirts
55T - Textile inks, Finer textile design, Water based inks.
63T - Enamel inks, Very fine textile ink or coarse plastisol ink printing
77T - Paper & Board inks, & textile
90T 100T - Vinyl inks, Plastic inks, Plastisol inks, Solvent based), Paper & Board
110T 120T - Halftone printing, Paper & Board Vinyl Plastic, Plastisol etc
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* a guide found online
Water based inks and mesh counts
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I've been printing onto fabric with water based inks for a long time and most of my screens had 43T mesh. There were a few 32T's and a few 55T's but the vast majority were 43T. A 43T mesh gives a good amount of detail and let's a good amount of ink through onto the fabric that you are printing onto. Water based inks air dry and block screens if left for too long. With clear based/transparent inks you can print quite happily with a 55T and even a 63T if you are printing something with a lot of detail or a finer half toned image. These clear based inks go onto lighter coloured fabrics and are not as thick as the opaque based inks which are more like a paste so they can go through finer meshes but a 55T was the finest I used and I never needed anything finer.
For the opaque water based inks I used 43T meshes. A 43T will put down 15-20% more ink compared to a 55T and it has a coarser mesh so it will block less easily than the finer mesh count. When printing with an opaque water based ink you need to print layers of ink to get a good opaque finish and block out the background fabric colour so a coarser mesh letting more ink through is a good help. A 43T is also great for metallic and pearlescent water based inks (some gold and silver inks will not be metallic but pearlescent, with pearl silver inks you can add black to them to get a darker gun metal colour). I did have a few 32T screens but they start to get a little too coarse to get finer detail and small text although they get opaque prints a lot easier.
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Plastisol inks and mesh counts
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I have printed with plastisol inks here in the UK for a year while working for a company. We used 43T meshes right up to 90T meshes. I found that to get an opaque white print a 43T was quickest but gives a thicker print with a more plastic feel.
Printing white plastisol onto a dark background you can use a 63T and get a good opaque print and have a softer feel.
Printing with metallic plastisol inks a 43T gives a more metallic finish.
Printing onto a light colour fabric, a 90T gives a very soft print - almost like a water based ink.
If you are printing an under-base of white and then a colour on top of that, even on a dark colour shirt, then a 90T works well too.
Other speciality type inks
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When printing with speciality type inks onto plastic, metal and even glass, your supplier will advise on the best mesh count.
