Fitting Mesh in a Screen Printing Frame

This tutorial shows how to replace the mesh in the type of screen printing frame that includes a channel and cord locking system. You can use this tutorial as a guide for replacing mesh in an existing frame, or for making a new frame from scratch.

Speedball wooden screen printing frame

Screen printing mesh fabric

Scissors

Spline cord

Ruler or tool to push cord into groove (examples of other tools you could use are the handle of a dessert spoon or a blunt chisel)

In my example, I replaced the mesh in a screen printing frame made by Speedball Art. This is the type of frame that's used in many of their beginner screen printing kits, and the quality is very good.

If you want to make your own screen printing frame, you can do this by making or repurposing a wooden frame, and routing a groove around it with a power tool. To ensure a tight hold, choose a router bit that is fractionally smaller than the size of the nylon cord you use.

Screen printing mesh comes in a variety of grades, and what you choose will depend on what you want to print. That's where screens like this one are really handy, as you can easily change the mesh without damaging your frame with staples or nails.

44T mesh is great for printing simple designs, and should work well on both paper and fabric. It's also a good choice if you want to print with metallic inks, as the pigment particles in those inks are larger and won't pass easily through finer screens.

Generally speaking, the higher the mesh count, the more fine detail you will be able to print.

Cut your mesh slightly larger than the frame size. It doesn't matter if your mesh has creases in it, as the stretching will get rid of them.

This type of screen uses nylon cord to hold the mesh in place. You can reuse the cord many times before it needs replacing. If you need to replace a cord or are building a screen from scratch, the nylon spline cord that's generally used for screen windows and doors is a great choice.

When reusing an old cord, I find it easiest to start by tamping down the cord lightly in the corner opposite the cord ends.

If you're using a new cord that doesn't already have corner kinks in it, you might find it easiest to begin by tamping lightly near a corner with one end of the cord.

Using a blunt tool that won't tear your mesh, tap the cord in lightly all around the frame. I used a metal ruler with a rounded end to do this, but you could use the handle end from a piece of cutlery or a blunted chisel or screwdriver.

After I've fastened the corner lightly, I like to move from the middle of each side all around, using a similar method to stretching a canvas. This ensures that you're stretching the mesh of the screen evenly. You may need to pull out sections of the cord and adjust their placement occasionally.

When your cord has been tapped lightly into place all the way around the frame, you can start to push it further, all the way into the groove. This will ensure the cord is secure, and will tighten the tension of the mesh so that you get a good quality print.

When the cord has been secured completely into the routed groove, trim away any excess mesh carefully with a pair of scissors. Make sure you don't nick the stretched mesh.

Your mesh should look smooth and feel taut, with a little bit of bounce. You're ready to print!