Quick answer: lower mesh counts (25–110) lay down thick ink for glitter, puff, metallics and white underbase; middle counts (110–200) cover most plastisol spot-color work; higher counts (200–305+) hold fine detail and halftones. Start with your ink maker's range in Table 1, then pick inside it with Table 2.
| Ink | Mesh range (threads per inch) | Source | Example in stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| WM Plastics All Purpose (AP) plastisol | 110–305 | WM Plastics technical data on our product pages | Brite Red AP Qt ($36.00) |
| WM Plastics High Opacity (HO) plastisol | 86–240 | WM Plastics technical data | HO Yellow Gold Qt ($40.00) |
| WM Plastics Low-Bleed Poly (polyester) | 86–160 | WM Plastics technical data | Lemon Yellow Low-Bleed Poly Qt ($40.00) |
| WM Plastics Brute White (low temp, low cure) | 61–230 | WM Plastics technical data | Brute White Qt ($33.00) |
| WM Plastics Ultimate White | up to 300 | WM Plastics product description | Ultimate White 5 gal ($377.00) |
| WM Plastics Metallic and Lustre inks | 86 | WM Plastics technical data | Metallic Silver Qt ($40.00) |
| WM Plastics Strong Glow (glow in the dark) | 86–110 | WM Plastics technical data | Strong Glow Qt ($89.95) |
| Wilflex Epic Rio RFU colors | 110–305 | Wilflex (Avient) technical data | Epic Rio Electric Pink 5 gal ($1093.74) |
| Wilflex Epic Rival Sport (low cure, low bleed, polyester) | 86–230 (160–230 over a base) | Wilflex (Avient) technical data | Rival Sport White 5 gal ($689.51) |
| Job | Typical mesh count | Why | Screens we stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glitter, shimmer, large flakes | 25–60 | big particles must pass through the mesh | 25 mesh screen ($25.50) 40 mesh screen ($24.50) 60 mesh screen ($30.00) |
| Puff, high density, metallics, glow | 86–110 | thick deposit; matches the 86–110 ranges in the data above | 83 mesh screen ($29.00) 110 mesh screen ($30.00) |
| White underbase or white ink on dark shirts | 110–160 | enough ink for opacity, still flashes fast | 110 mesh screen ($30.00) 125 mesh screen ($27.00) 160 mesh screen ($29.00) |
| Spot colors on light shirts, general plastisol | 156–200 | the everyday range for plastisol prints | 160 mesh screen ($29.00) 180 mesh screen ($29.25) 200 mesh screen ($30.00) |
| Fine detail, thin lines, small text | 200–255 | smaller openings hold detail and lay a thinner film | 200 mesh screen ($30.00) 230 mesh screen ($30.00) 255 mesh screen ($31.00) |
| Halftones, 4-color process, simulated process | 230–305 | tight mesh keeps dots sharp; Wilflex Epic Rio runs up to 305 | 230 mesh screen ($30.00) 280 mesh screen ($34.00) 305 mesh screen ($33.50) |
| Very fine process, special inks on paper or plastic | 305–420 | very thin deposits | 305 mesh screen ($33.50) 355 mesh screen ($36.00) 420 mesh screen ($41.00) |
Mesh count is threads per inch. A 110 mesh has bigger openings and deposits more ink than a 230 mesh. Thread thickness and emulsion thickness also change the ink deposit, so two "160" screens from different mesh makers can print slightly differently.
Shop by size: pre-stretched aluminum screens · screen printing mesh · emulsion.
Sources: ink mesh ranges come from WM Plastics and Wilflex (Avient) technical data as shown on each product page at bucketsofink.com. Job ranges in Table 2 are common shop starting points, not maker specifications — always follow the ink's data sheet first. Screen prices are today's Buckets of Ink web prices.
Most plastisol spot colors print well on 156–200 mesh. Check the ink data: WM Plastics All Purpose lists 110–305 and Wilflex Epic Rio lists 110–305.
A 110–160 mesh lays down enough white for opacity. High-opacity whites such as WM Plastics HO inks list 86–240.
Glitter usually needs a very open mesh (about 25–60) so the flakes pass through. Puff and high-density inks usually print on 86–110.
Halftones and process work usually run on 230–305 mesh so the dots stay sharp.
Buckets of Ink in Tempe, AZ stocks pre-stretched aluminum screens from 25 to 420 mesh for same-day pickup or shipping. Call 480-229-7806.
