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Mesh & screens · 1 of 5 · 1 min read

Frames: wood, aluminum, retensionable

Vastex says static wood frames are still the most-sold type, at over 70%. They’re inexpensive, but they warp, bow and lose tension with water and chemicals. Aluminum makes a better static frame. Retensionable frames cost the most up front but last, and they can be re-tightened after each print and reclaim cycle, so the mesh “work hardens” and holds higher tension.

The trade-offs of retensionables: more cost, more maintenance time, and high-tension mesh is easier to damage. A fair counterpoint: a 30-year printer interviewed by ASI Central prefers wood because it’s easy to restretch and repair in-house.

Sources for this guide (18)
  1. Vastex, Screen frame information
  2. ASI Central, Wood vs. aluminum screen frames
  3. SPSI, Feeling the tension
  4. ScreenPrinting.com Help, How do I pick the right mesh count?
  5. ScreenPrinting.com, Which mesh count is right for me?
  6. ScreenPrinting.com, Everything you need to know to print an underbase
  7. Atlas Screen Supply, Mesh count chart
  8. Avient, PAGEJ100 Crystalina tech data sheet
  9. Dragonfly Colors, Mesh selection in screen printing
  10. International Coatings, Catalyst 900 (nylon)
  11. Vastex, Mesh information
  12. Screen Printing Magazine, Tensioning screens for smoother setups
  13. Chromaline, Causes of pinholes during screen making
  14. Catspit Productions, Proper emulsion performance
  15. Avient, Print technique guide, 2023 (PDF)
  16. ScreenPrinting.com Help, What’s considered good mesh tension?
  17. Impressions, Troubleshooting screen printing (2018)
  18. Ink Kitchen, Why out of register? Let me count the ways

Where sources disagree, the page says so.