Smartmesh from Murakami is one of the best production tools you can use in screen printing. It is essential to consistent printing and non stop production. After all, the last thing that makes your screen print product is the mesh that prints it. The better the mesh the better the print, and the quality of product a screen printer produces. Properties:
- Excellent registration Quality – Precision woven with proprietary threads and manufacturing methods to assure you of the highest quality prints possible.
- Balanced warp and weft stress/strain curves helps create a mesh that withstands multiple forces that occur during the print process.
- Smartmesh is a low elongation mesh – it also resists accumulated elongation as the print progresses and the forces of the squeegee warms up the mesh.
- Woven with precise square openings which helps control moire.
- Mesh above 280 threads per inch is surface treated to improve ink flow and emulsion adhesion of fine details.
- High retained tension properties helps Smartmesh avoid losing excessive amounts of tension common on inferior mesh. Static stretch and glue frames retain a workable tension for a longer more useful screen life.
- Murakami carries mesh counts from 10 threads per inch up to 460 threads per inch in bolt widths in 45″, 53″ 65″, 85/90″, 100″, 120″, 135″. (Mesh counts available vary by bolt width.) See: Complete Polyester Smartmesh Guide
S Mesh from Murakami provides print control not found in standard T mesh. (Note S, T, M, HD letters after a mesh count refers to the thread diameter. A 150/48 mesh is the same as a 150/S mesh count. See Mesh Guide for both specifications side by side to know the specific thread diameter by mesh count.) S-Mesh uses finer, thinner threads that increases the open area in the mesh. The open area of a mesh helps ink print with less squeegee pressure while providing better ink coverage. Properties:
- S Mesh has more open area versus T or HD thread mesh. Inks flow much easier through S-Mesh. Example: A 150/48/S Mesh has a 51% open area, a 150/71/HD has only 34% open area. More open area = less squeegee pressure, easier transfer of ink and more accurate reproduction of the art.
- Registration qualities are excellent. S mesh can be paired with T or HD mesh and when combined in a print run they will hold exellent registrion.
- Hand printers will love S Mesh. It takes far less effort to print by hand. Here is a video showing how easy it is. Note in the video that the squeegee blade barely bends yet all ink is transferred and the base plate print has excellent opacity. The ink is unmodified white plastisol ink. 150 S Mesh Video.
- In addition to printing many types of plastisol inks, S Mesh provides excellent print control of High Solid Acrylic, Urethane and Silcone inks which can hang up in standard T mesh, or high tension meshes with low percentage of open area.
- S Mesh comes in many common thread counts. S Mesh Guide.
LX Mesh is a proprietary mesh with unique thread properties that takes S Mesh to another level. Properties:
- Thin S threads like Polyester mesh but with a softer outer core that allows ink to print with ease.
- Mesh knuckles are welded together more to provide a lower RZ Value which allows less squeegee pressure and squeegee chatter.
- Excellent for plastisol, water base, discharge, and high solid acrylic type inks.
- LX Mesh thread resists halation and is very transparent compared to white polyester mesh to minimize light scatter.
- LX and S Mesh Guide
Some helpful articles:
Stretching and Handling S and LX Mesh
Thin Thread Technology
