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Screen Printing Frames and Meshes

Source: buythis.co.za/screen-printing-frames-and-meshes

Links on the live page

The live page is a heading, a video search link and tiles that link to the other screen printing sections:

What this page is

buythis.co.za/screen-printing-frames-and-meshes is the screen frames and mesh section of Buythis, AM.CO.ZA's online shop. On the live page it is only a heading, a link to screen printing videos and tiles to single-station, multi-station and curved-surface screen printers, flash dryers, inks and emulsions, and consumables. This knowledge base page is a buyer's guide to the screen itself: the frame, the mesh stretched over it and the tools to make or re-mesh screens, with 15 products in total. For the ink side see the screen printing inks page, and for the full screen making workflow see the screen printing consumables page.

Three ways to get a screen

Ready-made frame (SP-SCREEN) Self-tensioning frame (SP-TENSION) Stretch and glue your own
What you get Aluminium frame with mesh already stretched and glued MeshMaster frame that clamps and tightens the mesh with locking bars, no glue Blank frame, mesh roll, stretcher and glue
Re-meshing Glue new mesh on, or buy a new frame Swap the mesh yourself in minutes, frame is reused Repeat the stretch and glue process
Tension Set at the factory Adjustable, can be tightened again when the mesh relaxes Set by you on the stretcher
Best for Getting started fast, fixed jobs Changing mesh counts often, small studios, carousel printers Shops that make many screens from roll mesh

Ready-made and blank aluminium frames

SKU What it is Product Sales price incl. VAT
SP-SCREEN/4050M (KB) Ready-made 400x500mm aluminium frame with 120 mesh, for water-based ink 120 Mesh 400x500mm Aluminium Screen Frame Inner Size (with 120 Mesh) by 1.4mm Wall Thickness Square Tubes R 527.85
SP-SCREEN/4050L (KB) Ready-made 400x500mm aluminium frame with 250 mesh, for plastisol ink 250 Mesh 400x500mm Aluminium Screen Frame Inner Size (with 250 Mesh) by 1.4mm Wall Thickness Square Tubes R 414.00
SP-SCREEN/2444L (KB) Ready-made 240x440mm aluminium frame with 250 mesh, narrower print area 250 Mesh 240x440mm Aluminium Screen Frame Inner Size (with 250 Mesh) by 1.3mm Wall Thickness Square Tubes R 322.00
SP-SCREEN/4050 (KB) Blank 400x500mm welded aluminium frame with no mesh, for re-meshing Aluminium Screen Frame 400x500mm Inner Size (Blank No Mesh), Frame by 1.4mm Wall Thickness Square Tubes R 266.80

The ready-made frames are aluminium square tube frames with the mesh already tensioned and glued, so you only need to coat emulsion and expose the design. The letter at the end of the SKU tells the mesh: M is 120 mesh for water-based ink, L is 250 mesh for plastisol ink. The blank SP-SCREEN/4050 frame has no mesh and is the same 400x500mm inside size, for shops that glue their own mesh. Aluminium frames stay straight when wet, so they can be washed and coated again many times.

MeshMaster self-tensioning frames

SKU What it is Product Sales price incl. VAT
SP-TENSION/3040 (KB) MeshMaster self-tensioning frame, 300x400mm inside, with about 1 sqm of 250 mesh MeshMaster Self-Tensioning Screen Frame Aluminum 300x400mm Inner Size (with ~1sqm 250 Count Mesh) R 1 288.00
SP-TENSION/4050 (KB) MeshMaster self-tensioning frame, 400x500mm inside, with about 1 sqm of 250 mesh and a free squeegee MeshMaster Self-Tensioning Screen Frame Aluminum 400x500mm Inner Size (with ~1sqm 250 Count Mesh) R 1 288.00

Getting the right tension is the hardest part of making a screen. Mesh that is too loose gives a blurred, distorted print; mesh that is too tight can tear. The MeshMaster frames hold the mesh with rubbers and locking bars and tighten it with a key, so one person can fit and tension a screen without glue or tape, and re-tighten it later. Each frame comes with the hex key, drill key, rubbers, locking bars and a piece of 250 count mesh of about 1 sqm, enough for two or three screens depending on frame size. They work for manual and automated printing.

Mesh rolls and stretching tools

SKU What it is Product Sales price incl. VAT
SP-MESH/120/40 (KB) 120 count nylon mesh, 127cm wide, 40m roll, for water-based ink 120 White Nylon Mesh, 127cm Wide, 40 Meters Roll for Water-Based Ink Paste R 1 656.00
SP-MESH/250/40 (KB) 250 count nylon mesh, 127cm wide, 40m roll, for plastisol ink 250 White Nylon Mesh, 127cm Wide, 40 Meters Roll for Plastisol Ink Paste R 3 496.00
SP-STRETCHER/60 (KB) Manual fast-clip stretcher, up to 60x60cm, for tensioning mesh before gluing SPE6060 Fast Clip Manual Stretcher for Silkscreen Screen Mesh Making, 006261 R 4 692.00
SP-MESH/GLUE (KB) Mesh glue kit for fixing stretched mesh onto aluminium or wooden frames Screen Mesh Glue Kit, Glue Screen Mesh onto the Aluminium and Wood Frame R 303.60

Mesh count is the number of threads per inch. A lower count such as 120 has bigger openings and lays down more ink, which suits water-based ink and bold shapes on light fabric. A higher count such as 250 has smaller openings for finer detail and a thinner ink layer, which suits plastisol. Both rolls are 127cm wide and 40m long, enough for many screens. To make your own screen, clamp the mesh in the fast-clip stretcher, pull it evenly tight, lay the frame under it, glue the mesh to the frame with the glue kit, let it set, then trim the edges.

Supplies to finish and reuse the screen

SKU What it is Product Sales price incl. VAT
SP-TAPE/45/60 (KB) Aluminium blockout tape, 45mm, 5 rolls, seals the frame edges 5 Rolls of Aluminium Durable Screen Blockout Tape Roll 45mm Wide (5x) R 202.40
SP-SQUEEGEE/340 (KB) 4 wooden squeegees, 340mm, sized for the 400x500mm frames Four of Wood Screen Printing Squeegees 340mm (4x) R 478.40
SP-EMULSION/SOLVENT (KB) Photo emulsion with diazo sensitiser, 900g, for water-based and plastisol ink 900g Bottle Solvent Emulsion (+1 Bag of Diazo Sensitizer) for Water-Based and Plastisol Ink 250 Mesh, DM-I R 386.40
SP-EXPOSURE/2 (KB) Dual-UV exposure unit for burning the stencil into the mesh Dual-UV Exposure Unit for Silkscreen Screen Emulsion Curing on Screen Mesh, SPE-220 R 2 484.00
SP-MESH/CLEAN (KB) Mesh cleaner that removes ink and emulsion, so the screen can be reused, 1kg Autohaze Water-Soluble Mesh Cleaner 1kg, Ink Degradant and Emulsion Remover R 349.60

Once the mesh is on the frame, tape the inside edges with blockout tape so ink cannot leak at the corners, coat it with emulsion, dry it in the dark and expose your design with the UV unit. Choose a squeegee a little narrower than the inside of the frame; the 340mm squeegee suits the 400x500mm frames. After the job, mesh cleaner removes ink and emulsion so the same screen can take a new design.

Prices are current Buythis prices including VAT from the product dump dated 2026-10-20. Some prices come from slightly older dump entries (2026-10-17, 2026-10-18, 2026-10-19). Check the product page before ordering, since prices change.

How to choose

  1. Pick the ink first. Water-based ink needs about 120 mesh; plastisol needs about 250 mesh.
  2. Pick the print size. The 400x500mm frames suit adult t-shirt fronts and backs. The 240x440mm and 300x400mm frames suit smaller prints, pockets, sleeves and bags. Leave a margin of a few centimetres between the design and the frame on every side.
  3. Decide how often you change mesh. For a few fixed screens, ready-made frames are simplest. If you change mesh or mesh count often, a MeshMaster self-tensioning frame saves glue and time.
  4. Making many screens? A mesh roll, the fast-clip stretcher, blank frames and the glue kit cost less per screen once you make them regularly.
  5. Check the printer. Make sure the frame size fits the clamps of your single-station or carousel screen printer.
  6. Look after the screen. Clean it straight after printing, keep it flat and dry, and re-tighten self-tensioning frames when the mesh starts to sag.

Videos

The live page links to a search for screen printing videos on the AM.CO.ZA YouTube channel. Videos about screen frames, mesh and stretching:

Related pages in this knowledge base