Stainless steel mesh is used by the majority of solar cell manufacturers for the front side metallization process. Because of its strength, small diameter stainless steel mesh can create larger open areas and higher screen tensions that are favorable over other materials for fine line applications. However, finer diameter wires also lead to lower theoretical line heights which are detrimental to high aspect ratio. For this case, emulsion is added over the mesh (EOM) of the screen to build additional theoretical thickness. The EOM provides a flexible gasket to the wafer, so the paste is deposited only in the area of the exposed pattern. The emulsion will wear during the use of the screen. The lifetime of the screen will be determined primarily by the screen printing parameters of off-contact distance, squeegee durometer, and pressure.