What LPI should I use for screen printing?

Divide the mesh count by 4 to 5. A 230 mesh holds about 45–55 LPI, a 156 mesh about 32–40 LPI.

How do I convert LPI to pixels?

Cell size in pixels = output DPI ÷ LPI. At 300 DPI, 45 LPI is a 6.7 px cell.

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Halftone LPI & mesh calculator

Enter your mesh count and print size to get a safe halftone frequency, the matching cell size for the halftone generator, and the image width to export.

Mesh count (threads/in) Rule Halftone LPI Output DPI Print width (in) LPI from mesh

The formulas

max LPI ≈ mesh count ÷ 4 to 5 — each halftone dot needs to span several mesh openings, or dots land on threads and drop out. cell size (px) = DPI ÷ LPI converts the halftone frequency into the cell size used by the halftone generator. output width (px) = print width (in) × DPI.

Mesh to LPI chart

Mesh	LPI (÷5 – ÷4)	Cell at 300 DPI	Typical use
86	17–22	15.7 px	Glitter, puff, thick white underbase
110	22–28	12.3 px	Bold underbase, coarse halftones
156	31–39	8.7 px	General plastisol, coarse photo prints
200	40–50	6.8 px	Detailed plastisol, water-based
230	46–58	5.9 px	Fine halftones, simulated process
305	61–76	4.4 px	Very fine detail, 4-color process

These are starting points: emulsion thickness, exposure, ink viscosity and the garment all shift the limit. Read the full screen printing halftone guide for angles, minimum dot and dot gain, or see the halftone angle chart.