... how does the opening affect what kind of detail you can hold? I would think that with more open mesh you are essentially lower the mesh count in a sense... am I wrong in thinking that? Or is it slightly the case but not much given that you still have X threads per inch?
Yes, thinner threads dump ink at higher counts like low count standard threads do. Our 150/48 screens print like std 110 or 125 or so in terms of ink deposit yet hold much higher detail. To answer the question on detail....
Someone out there in the world of screen printing will have a better answer than this but the short of it, to me, is that if you have proper eom, that is your emulsion is adequately bridging the mesh, you will see increased detail on your printed substrate with increased open area. Where the emulsion fails to adequately bridge due to improper coating or simply failure of the emulsion to hold it's shape over too large an area then you see a decrease. It's a fact that fat threads will block your dots and fine lines and higher TPI mesh will support the emulsion better, but it's all relative.
The best screen on earth would be one that had epic amounts of open area, ultra strong, slick, whisper thin threads and was paired with a super emulsion that could bridge vast mesh openings while magically holding a perfect film thickness and shape yet remaining highly elastic.
