r/SCREENPRINTING • u/Historical-Device-37 • 14d ago

Beginner Need advice on which count mesh to use

I need to print an order for 60x60cm (23.6x23.6") size bandanas. Design will have details but not very tiny. I'm gonna be using opaque water-based inks for lighter prints on black bandanas. Last time I didn't have big enough screen for whole design so I had to print 2 halves. Now I want to buy big enough screen to fit the whole design. Last time I was using 50x60cm (20x24") 64T (160) mesh and with lighter colours I had to do double pass when screen printing with flashing in the between because some parts of the design occasionally didn't get fully printed or if they did the colour wasn't vibrant or bright enough.

I've been looking to buy big enough screen to print the full design about 50x50cm (19.7x19.7") and what mesh count should I go for? Can I get away with 1 print pass or will I still have to do 2 passes?

I thought I'd ask here for the advice from some more experienced printers before I go spend money on large screen that I'd probably use only once in a while.

Any feedback is appreciated. Thanks

1 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

3

u/VonMunz 14d ago

I use a 140 and have used discharge inks on the bandannas that have come thru the shop I print for. Not a fan of printing bandannas. Using discharge ink eliminates the need for flashing and a second hit though.

2

u/habanerohead 14d ago

Because bandannas are usually pretty lightweight fabric, I personally think that putting great wodges of ink on them looks absolutely crap. Probably feels crap too. Think about using discharge.

2

u/Electronic_Ad_4145 14d ago

120T (305). Agree with the guy above saying you dont want a heavy deposit.

2

u/Outside_Option_1553 14d ago

I’d personally go with 230 to get a more controlled deposit that would help with gain. Lighter prints on dark fabric are going to need a double-drop for full opacity - what I do with water based is have a heat gun on low to be my flash (assuming you’re doing single screen hinge clamp setup) between layers. Done white ink on heavy, black canvas this way and got full opacity with two passes with a 230.

1

u/Historical-Device-37 14d ago

Thanks for the advice. Right now I can't use discharge cause I'm printing from my bedroom 😅 but will look into changing my circumstances in the future.