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screen printing => Screen Making => Topic started by: SteveS on November 20, 2014, 11:55:58 AM

Title: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: SteveS on November 20, 2014, 11:55:58 AM
Where can someone find a tool for indicating mesh? My printer has asked for one. He says he's seen these before and they're used to determine mesh in the case of missing information on the screen. I believe it is some kind of clear ruler type device that shows moire or something if angled the right way.

Any ideas? GSG says they used to give these out as promotional gifts like they do loupes but they didn't have any.
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: KevWilso on November 20, 2014, 12:05:31 PM
http://www.rivercitygraphicsupply.com/products/details/mesh-count-determiner (http://www.rivercitygraphicsupply.com/products/details/mesh-count-determiner)

We stock these; ours is the A.WT. one; I think they are the only company still making them.  Good tool to have.

You just place the transparency on the mesh, and it kind of makes an arrow and points to the thread count.
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: SteveS on November 20, 2014, 12:17:33 PM
Thanks Kevin. I just put an order through to you.
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: Frog on November 20, 2014, 12:18:53 PM
Some may remember a recent thread in which some old codgers like me reminisced about our days with stat cameras.
When I took a class in Graphic Art Camera back in the day, one of our first lessons was making contact prints and a tool like this half tone line/mesh determiner was the first project. 38 years ago and I still have it!
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: bimmridder on November 20, 2014, 12:27:03 PM
Saati has one
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: shurloc on December 04, 2014, 02:04:00 PM
We get stuff all the time from customers that 'don't know what it is' so we grabbed one of these little guys to hook to a computer. If you set it to cms or tenths, you can actually count the threads pretty easily with the still image and get a very accurate count.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AFH3IN4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AFH3IN4&linkCode=as2&tag=myli0a6-20&linkId=NYZKHZIH6VPF3R23 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AFH3IN4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00AFH3IN4&linkCode=as2&tag=myli0a6-20&linkId=NYZKHZIH6VPF3R23)
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: bimmridder on December 04, 2014, 02:18:14 PM
I have one of those. Good for a lot of things around a screen room
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: mimosatexas on December 04, 2014, 02:24:57 PM
I think I'm definitely getting one of those...
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: SteveS on December 04, 2014, 06:20:48 PM
I don't see how that would work. Is there a graduated scale in the image. A ruler of sorts?
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: SteveS on December 04, 2014, 06:21:39 PM
We got the one from ROB mentioned earlier. It works like a charm.
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: Inkworks on December 04, 2014, 08:09:20 PM
Just get marked swatches of mesh and a decent loupe. It's quite easy to see if it's the same, finer or coarser than a sample.
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: Frog on December 04, 2014, 08:17:45 PM
Some of the old timers use the fingernail sound test, once again, having references.
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: shurloc on December 05, 2014, 03:52:28 PM
I don't see how that would work. Is there a graduated scale in the image. A ruler of sorts?

There's a program that comes with it to view the exact measurements on a screen. Super easy to count the threads between your 'marks' and multiply it out. We've used it more times than I care to count with things that had stamps that were wrong or mesh that a customer sends in that has no identification.

With some of the mesh, you can even get a micron reading on the thread diameter.
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: mk162 on December 05, 2014, 04:26:05 PM
i've used the paint thickness gauge on ours before when i was getting conflicting results....
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: Gilligan on December 06, 2014, 05:09:31 AM
i've used the paint thickness gauge on ours before when i was getting conflicting results....

We've done this as well.
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: Dottonedan on December 06, 2014, 02:38:38 PM
You have yours ordered already, but I used one similar to what Frog mentioned. I think it's intent is really for halftones, but works on mesh also. Pretty low cost to have around. I'd figure they can be purchased at a local graphics store, but the sources here that sell them for screen print would be just as good or better.


A pretty good idea I saw the other day, was to spray paint the sides of the mesh to color code.  All red are 150, all blue are 160 etc. That doesn't interfere with the mesh frame itself like some other methods do.


I've seen some people use colored Zip lock stripes and those can cause problems sometimes. Others tape them, but they come up or wear down eventually. Spray painting the ends was a good idea.
Title: Re: Mesh Finder Tool
Post by: jhinkle on December 06, 2014, 05:47:58 PM
the spray painted frames is cost efficient and works great. one of the better ideas at our shop dottonedan