How do you attach the mesh to the screen printing frame? I’ve always been told that it should be attached to the side of the frame. Is this right?
The mesh can be attached to the screen printing frame in two different ways:
– using a manual stapler, as was done in the old days: the mesh is stapled along the entire perimeter of the upper face of the frame.
You need one staple every two centimetres, and you need to make sure that the staple is at a slight angle to the direction of the weave, so that the two ends of the staple don’t grip the same thread.
– with a special bicomponent glue which should be spread on the upper face of the frame using a brush.
The glue penetrates the mesh threads and sticks it to the frame. This second method works with both wood and metal frames.
If the mesh is stapled to the outer side of the frame, it becomes impossible to use a tensioner, the mesh would need to be hand-stretched, perhaps using pliers with a very wide nose, possibly even home-made ones. This is a really old method, and unfortunately with this method it’s very difficult to obtain the required mesh tension levels.