How to prepare a screen for screen printing with the xTool P3

The xTool P3 not only cuts and engraves the final product: it can also prepare a screen-printing screen. The laser removes the coating from the design areas and leaves the mesh ready for ink to be applied later with the screen-printing press.

We have been using the P3 in production since October 2025, but we have not yet tested this workflow. This guide adapts the official procedure published by xTool and clearly identifies the compatible accessories, screens, and settings so you do not buy the wrong materials.

What you need before getting started

• An xTool P3 [xTool EU] connected to xTool Studio.
• The specific P3 frame holder, which xTool sells separately.
• The RA3 mounting piece already built into the machine as an anchor point.
• A coated steel-mesh screen, the blue one.
• The frame and the tools needed to mount the mesh.
• The press, ink, and squeegee for the subsequent printing stage.

The detail that prevents the wrong purchase: xTool’s documentation states that the P3 supports blue steel-mesh screens, both standard and small, but not Fast-Engrave black screens.

Slats yes; honeycomb panel no

For this task, use the P3 slats. xTool advises against placing the assembly on the honeycomb panel because it sits higher than the surrounding surface. This height difference changes the geometry intended for the holder and may cause a positioning or head-travel problem.

This is not a generic recommendation against the honeycomb panel; it is specific to this setup and to how the frame is mounted with its holder.

1. Mounting the frame holder

The screen holder rests on the system the P3 already uses for the RA3:

1. Locate the RA3 mounting piece inside the P3.
2. Align the screen holder’s holes with the two pins on that piece.
3. Join both pieces with the supplied screw and a 2.5 mm hex key.

xTool also provides for first removing the RA3 holder, joining the two pieces outside the machine, and reinstalling the assembly. The result should be secure and repeatable: the holder’s advantage is that it always lets you position the frame at the same reference point.

2. Mounting and positioning the screen

Mount the blue mesh in its frame following the screen-printing system’s procedure. Then fit the frame onto the two pins of the holder installed in the P3.

Before moving the head, check three things:

• the frame is fully seated;
• the screen is taut and centered;
• no part protrudes into the path of the laser module.

The P3 engraves the screen's preparation side. Orientation matters because the design will ultimately be transferred from the opposite side onto the product.

3. Choose the correct mode in xTool Studio

With the P3 connected, open or import the design and select Screen preparation —screen preparation— as the processing mode.

The official guide required the device plug-in 1.5.12 at the time of publication and required restarting Studio after updating it. If your installation already uses a later version, do not downgrade it: check that the mode appears and keep Studio, the plug-in, and the firmware on compatible versions.

In the material library, select 100 Mesh Coated Screen. This is the official profile for the coated steel mesh screen.

4. Flip the design

Select the design and apply Flip horizontally. This is not an aesthetic effect: the screen is prepared from the side opposite the one you will print from. If you do not flip the design, text and directional elements will appear reversed on the final product.

Perform an additional check with names, dates, and asymmetrical logos. A circle or symmetrical shape can hide the error until you have already prepared the entire screen.

5. Measure on the screen itself

Enable distance measurement and select a point within the screen's usable area. Do not measure on the frame, the holder, or outside the tensioned area: the reference plane must be the one the laser will actually process.

Then, in the engraving settings, select Reference. The design must fit within the usable surface, with sufficient clearance from the frame.

6. Preview and process

Before starting:

1. check the design's size and position;
2. confirm that it is still flipped horizontally;
3. check that the selected material is the 100-mesh coated screen;
4. verify that the measurement was taken on the mesh;
5. make sure the frame cannot move.

Click Process in Studio and then press the P3 button to start. Do not leave the machine unattended. Even though the support is not a wooden board, this is still a laser process on a coating and requires supervision and fume extraction.

7. From the screen to the product

P3 finishes its job when the screen is ready. Printing requires the equipment and screen-printing technique: positioning the product, adding the appropriate ink, pulling the squeegee with even pressure, and cleaning the screen before the ink dries.

It is best to separate the two processes:

• Screen test: check that the laser has correctly opened the areas of the design.
• Print test: adjust the ink, pressure, number of passes, and curing on a scrap piece.

If a print comes out incomplete, it does not automatically mean that the laser power is insufficient. It may be due to poor preparation, but it could also be too little ink, an uneven pass, insufficient pressure, or a dirty screen.

When this workflow makes sense

Screen printing makes sense when you are going to repeat a design and the product is suitable for use with a screen: bags, garments, paper, signage, and certain flat items. The P3 prepares the stencil; subsequent production speed depends on the screen-printing equipment and the operator’s skill.

It does not replace digital printing for units that are all completely different from one another. Its advantage appears when you repeat the same graphic and can amortize the screen preparation over a series.

Errors this procedure helps avoid

• Buying the Fast-Engrave black screen, which the P3 guide does not support.
• Placing the frame on the honeycomb panel.
• Forgetting the specific P3 holder.
• Measuring the height from the frame instead of the mesh.
• Preparing text without mirroring it.
• Mistaking a printing problem for an engraving problem.

Frequently asked questions

Are Fast-Engrave black screens suitable?

Not according to xTool’s official guide for the P3. The documented procedure uses blue screens made of coated steel mesh.

Can I use the honeycomb panel?

xTool indicates that it is not required for this setup because it sits higher than the rest of the surface. You need to work with the slats.

Is the complete RA3 required?

The guide uses the RA3 attachment piece present in the P3 as an anchor, together with the specific frame holder sold separately. It does not describe using the complete rotary attachment.

Why does it need to be mirrored horizontally?

Because the screen is prepared from the side opposite the printing side. Mirroring ensures that directional text and designs reach the product correctly.

Are these parameters tested by Picasita?

No. This article adapts the official procedure. When we carry out the process in our workshop, we will add the tests and any differences we find.

Noemi and Javi from Picasita here. We have been using an xTool P3 in production since October 2025, but we have not yet tested this screen-printing workflow. The source is the official tutorial Use xTool P3 to Engrave a Screen, updated on April 13, 2026. We are xTool affiliates. More P3 tutorials and solutions.