# Mesh counts for use with permaset aqua supercover?



## kushclothing (Mar 28, 2009)

Hey guys, sure this has come up before but couldn't find anything by searching....we are in the process of trying to print a really small, intricate design in White on black (I know, I know!). Anyway we usually use 43T mesh to print and only water based (generally permaset aqua inks) as they are in line with our company ethos. Anyway I tried the design out on the usual 43T mesh but alot of the detail was lost. Last night I went for broke and tried printing on 77T mesh which looked absolutely great for the first print. However, I then couldn't get the screen to clear properly. At first I thought we were just doing it too slowly and maybe it was drying to the screen. We've had this happen before and the symptoms were the same. After trying to clear the screen repeatedly a few times on a spare blank I decided that it can't be that it was drying between prints and it
must be clogging in the finer screen. 
I am thinking that we might get away with the 77T with regular ink but not the supercover. So I have to find a way of printing these somehow! Do I:
a - make up a new screen with 55T the other size I have?
b - discharge print it? Never done that...
c - under print it? Never done that either!
By far the easiest option is to make up a new screen with 55T and print on that but will it work? Anybody have any experience or tips when printing waterbased aupercover inks on fine mesh screens?? 
Please help!
Oli.


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## ScreenPrintH2O (Oct 6, 2009)

It would help if I could see what kind of detail the design your working with has in it. Our standard mesh counts for opaque waterbased inks are 110 but when I get into more detail work I use either 125 or 156 mesh for opaque. I go up to 230 on our transparent waterbased inks but I've only gotten a couple prints out of that mesh when using opaque inks. 

Discharge is definitely an option as long as you are working with a dischargable garment. Underbasing also could be an option but if you are having trouble getting the detail with just 1 white it might be difficult to underbase. 

The screen ink drying out in the screens is always something you run into using higher mesh counts with opaque inks. I always keep spray bottles with water around the machine and I mist constantly. I also keep moist rags at the ready. Make sure you are using ample ink in the screens and flooding heavily after each print. 

That's my 2 cents anyway.


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## kushclothing (Mar 28, 2009)

Hi, thanks for the info. I don't have access to a computer just now (only my iPhone) which I don't have the design on. I tried to download the logo from their website Black Faced Sheep but it is flash which won't load on the phone! If you have a look on the site it is their company logo, of a sheeps head...the print is for the left breast and is about 4 inches square. 
I am probably going to try with the 55T mesh and see how it goes! We have been having trouble with the ink drying on our usual meshes. We tried using a fine mist spray of water but didn't get on with it. Decided that speed was the key but the ink just dries so fast on the finer mesh!
Thanks,
oli.


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## rudi (Mar 7, 2007)

Put some glycerine in the supercover.


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## ScreenPrintH2O (Oct 6, 2009)

I've used glycerin in standard transparent waterbased inks, never tried it in opaque inks...


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## kushclothing (Mar 28, 2009)

I put some speedball screen retarder in (a couple of tea spoon's worth) and printed again. Didn't have too much bother with is drying on screens (failed to clear a few times but nothing too major...) the results are not as good as with straight supercover though. I'm finding that the ink is almost being pulled upwards with the screen once printed and leaving a texture of lots of little peaks behind. Main problem is it not clearing the screen properly...almost as if it clogs the screen every now and again.....I've managed to do about half tonight so will tackle the rest tomorrow with a bit more off-contact I think.....
Thanks,
Oli.


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## ArtbyTati (Dec 5, 2012)

kushclothing said:


> we usually use 43T mesh to print and only water based (generally permaset aqua inks) ... Last night I went for broke and tried printing on 77T mesh which looked absolutely great for the first print. However, I then couldn't get the screen to clear properly...I am thinking that we might get away with the 77T with regular ink but not the supercover.


Hi, I'm just getting into screen printing and have already gotten Permaset Aqua standard inks. Now I'm looking at what mesh count I need for my designs and am concerned about it getting clogged or not clearing if I go too high a count. I see you had problems with the supercover when using the higher count, but did you have the same problem when using standard (if you use standard at all)? 
I was thinking of getting 280 (I guess that's over 100T) because someone else had recommended that high a count for my designs.
I've attached a pic of one of my designs so someone can recommend a mesh count please. 
Advice appreciated from anyone with experience.
Thanks


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## sben763 (May 17, 2009)

100T is approximately 250-260. Looking at your design examples there is no reason to use that high of mesh. For white waterbase I would use nothing more then 200 but in plastisol 128. Even at the size of the thumbnail pics they would even hold on a 86 if printing shimmer ink. 

A halftone dot 20 LPI @ 1% is 127 microns. 30 LPI @1% is 85 microns. Which both are smaller then any dot size that appears on the thumbnails.


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## GMone (Oct 13, 2015)

I bought this for $12 but don't know what the mesh count is. Can anyone tell from the specs on here.


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## Oaks (Jan 26, 2013)

It looks like the mesh count is 165. 
* I have used 155 mesh and it worked with permaset waterbased ink.


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## GMone (Oct 13, 2015)

Oaks said:


> It looks like the mesh count is 165.
> * I have used 155 mesh and it worked with permaset waterbased ink.


Thank you i wasn't sure how to read it


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