S-Mesh Statics review

[Prosperi-Tees]

So I picked up a couple 150/48 S-Mesh statics to give em a try. Coated 1 on the print side and 2 on the squeegee side with SP-1400. Put on the press and adjusted the choppers until it just cleared the ink which to my surprise was a whole lot less pressure than with my regular statics. Did not see any platen deflection or anything and I was able to speed the squeegee up as fast as it would go which could not happen with my regular statics. Also it cleared the ink with one stroke which I could barely get to happen with regular statics and that would take a whole bunch of pressure and a slow squeegee speed. So here are the results. Printed with SF White. I have a sample of Wilflex Quick coming to try out as I am not 100% satisfied with the SF and the matte down properties as you can see in the pics.

[jsheridan]

cool story bro..

take a tension reading now, and one again after 10k impressions and a few dozen reclaim cycles, then get back to me.

[Prosperi-Tees]

cool story bro..

take a tension reading now, and one again after 10k impressions and a few dozen reclaim cycles, then get back to me.

For us I would be getting back to you maybe next year!

[jsheridan]

Perfect!

I'll put a note on my calendar for this time next year.

[Homer]

nice G. rollers aren't for everyone. me included.

[sqslabs]

So I picked up a couple 150/48 S-Mesh statics to give em a try. Coated 1 on the print side and 2 on the squeegee side with SP-1400. Put on the press and adjusted the choppers until it just cleared the ink which to my surprise was a whole lot less pressure than with my regular statics. Did not see any platen deflection or anything and I was able to speed the squeegee up as fast as it would go which could not happen with my regular statics. Also it cleared the ink with one stroke which I could barely get to happen with regular statics and that would take a whole bunch of pressure and a slow squeegee speed. So here are the results. Printed with SF White. I have a sample of Wilflex Quick coming to try out as I am not 100% satisfied with the SF and the matte down properties as you can see in the pics.

Man, your post echoes my experience exactly.  As soon as I saw that screen clear on the first pass, using cold white ink right out of the bucket, I knew life was about to get a little bit easier.  It ended up getting a lot easier, and more fun.

I also switched from SF White since that time and it has made a huge difference.  If you get a chance, I'd recommend checking out a sample of Miami Screenprint Ultimate White.  I found it by recommendation from Alan, and it turned out the place is 1/2 hour from my shop.  Rutland Tidy white is supposed to be another great option if you're not close to Miami, but I haven't had a chance to test it out yet. 

Once you have an ink dialed in, get yourself a Serilor 55/90/55 blade (thanks to Pierre) and watch the magic really happen. That mesh/ink/blade combo laid down one of the nicest white prints I've ever seen.  And it came off a 25 year old Javelin.

I only have 10 s-mesh screens in production at the moment, and everyone in the shop reaches for them first if they're in the box.  Hoping to have the entire operation running on them sooner than later.  At this point it's a bummer to run a job without them.

Congrats on the print, it's all downhill from here.

[Prosperi-Tees]

Thanks. Im printing alot (to us) of white ink lately and this along with the right ink and squeegee may be the ticket I have been looking for. Might switch over to shurloc ez frames though instead of the static's, not sure on that yet.

And you're right I couldn't believe the image in the screen was clean as a whistle with one light stroke. I can see registration possibly getting better as well. On the regular static frames I would have to use so much pressure that I think it would distort the underbase image somewhat on long print strokes.

[Gilligan]

Don't forget galaxy ink.

[Prosperi-Tees]

That stuff printed awesome but was shiny still. Someone told me that the ink is a mix of 2 International Coatings ink but not sure which 2.

[jvanick]

What's so bad about shiny?  Lots of my customers want that...

[Prosperi-Tees]

Really? hmmm maybe its just me then lol. Imo I think it looks cheap when its shiny, idk maybe im just wierd

[jvanick]

I agree... i print matte finish... make sure it's not over cured... and then they ask why it's not glossy... wtf.

[3Deep]

I've got to play spoiler here, (I've got to get some s mesh to play with then I'll know) but I've had very nice print on new screens as well without it being s mesh, but wait until you get a few reclaims and see if it still works that good.  I know some of my old screens are hard to print with without a ton of squeegee pressure is because of my poor reclaiming skills and not takin my time.

darryl

[Prosperi-Tees]

Thats why I am on the fence on whether to go with ez frames or stick with the statics. I have a feeling the ez frames will be a much better option for longevity and of course tension.

[sqslabs]

I've got to play spoiler here, (I've got to get some s mesh to play with then I'll know) but I've had very nice print on new screens as well without it being s mesh, but wait until you get a few reclaims and see if it still works that good.  I know some of my old screens are hard to print with without a ton of squeegee pressure is because of my poor reclaiming skills and not takin my time.
darryl

The key to this mesh isn't in its tension, but in the additional open area which allows the ink to pass through easier. Think of it as a tile floor, with the grout being the thread and the tiles being the open area.  A standard tile floor is like a s-mesh screen.  Now double the size of the grout (doubling the thickness of the thread) and the tiles get closed in on all sides, getting much smaller in the process.  Smaller tiles = less open area = more resistance to the ink passing through.  More resistance to the ink requires more pressure and in turn, higher tension requirements.  Less resistance to the ink, as with s-mesh, requires less tension and less pressure to get the job done.

By using less pressure, we can lay down a more opaque ink deposit using less ink, as more of the ink deposit stays on top of the shirt.  This also equates to a faster print speed, adding smoothness to the print.

Would highly recommend grabbing one and giving it a shot.  You'll see the difference once you have one on press.

I'm personally planning on moving away from statics in order to have a bit more control over tension levels, but I still feel this plays less a part of the overall equation with s-mesh as it does with standard mesh for the reasons outlined above.