S mesh count question

[Shanarchy]

I've recently started using S mesh. I'm really happy I made the switch. I got 135, 155, 180, and 225 to start off with. I want to order more screens/panels but held off to be sure I knew which mesh counts j liked best. I'm still a little on the fence, but here's my thoughts thus far.

135: I will be keeping a few for poly ink on red and other high bleeders. Possibly metallics as well.

150: underbase, white ink, the occasional one color HO p-f/p

180: top colors, dark ink on light shirts, highlight white

225: half tones.

I thought I'd be not using the 180's and using the 225's for the above mentioned. I'd like to try the 225's a little more. Thoughts? In printing everything manually right now, but the screens are all 23x31 and will be transitioning to auto at some point. I'm guessing the auto would probably have better pressure making the 225's better at that point?

[jvanick]

we use 150S or 160S for underbase all the time.  225S for top colors, and halftones.

we do have a few 180S for doing 45lpi halftone 1-screen work

[Shanarchy]

Are you running them in auto or manual? Or both?

[jvanick]

Both.

however, we RARELY run anything with an underbase on the manual (way faster to line up on the auto and better more consistent results)

-J

[mimosatexas]

I switched my shop over to almost completely S-mesh.  All my screens are 23x31 statics and I print manually.

135S - for one color designs where I just want to one stroke and be done with it.  Works great for "almost" one hit whites when a garment prints nicely and for one hit spot color jobs on fuzzy stuff and coarse knits.  I have only a few of these as they don't really fit most of my jobs.  Also been using this for my white discharge recently and LOVE the results.

150S - better option for the p/f/p lower detail work light on dark since the deposit is thinner but still fully opaque.  I occasionally use it as an underbase for spot stuff on fuzzy and coarse knits.  Also only have a few.

180S - one of my workhorse screens right now.  I use it for most spot underbases and lots of p/f/p and dark on light stuff.  Great for white ink with detailed designs, say thin text or a few fades where you can use 45lpi.  GREAT for waterbased.

225S - use this for most of my spot color top colors and for my more complex sim process-y underbases with 55lpi.  Great for transfers.

I also have 110's for a few things and 280's which I prefer for any top colors with 55lpi halftones, both standard mesh though.

I am going to hopefully be getting some 80S or 70S to try to get a true one hit white and for metallics.  I honestly have had trouble with some glitters and metallics on the 135S so I wouldn't suggest that mesh for those inks.

[Screen Dan]

When we went 100% full S-Mesh we used 225S and 150S...pretty much exclusively. 

The 150S is great for solid fill, 55 LPI halftones, all base plates, most metallics.  Hell, it could pull off 60 LPI in all but a few of our designs...though we do very little photographic styled work, which I'm sure makes that a lot easier.

Same for the 225S.

We run all autos so that likely helped get the solid fill black with the 225S.

We couldn't get the guys in the shop to be more careful though so we had to scale back to 225T.  It gets a little funky at 55 LPI for some halftones so I rip those jobs with alternate LPI (53) and a slightly different dot angle.

I just ordered my first bolt of 180S today and I'm excited to try it as the 150S can be a little heavy handed on some designs and I have no intention of screwing with our calibration curve for outliers.

[IntegrityShirts]

Sort of a random count, but I have been using 200S for a while now for top colors and halftones.

[JBLUE]

We use 150-S yellow, 180-S, and 225-S here. I tried the 200-S but the open area is less than the 225 and required a bit more pressure than the 225. All of the counts are good except for the white mesh. White mesh regardless of thread diameter or count sucks for detail. It does take a different style of handling. The new guy just popped one that had one print job on it. It took longer to stretch the screen than it run the job and rip the screen.

[jvanick]

I like the 160s in white due to the faster exposure times for sp1400... the Yellow 150s takes nearly 2x as long.