Stainless steel is the typical metal used in filter disc, although expensive but is good material to avoid problems with rust. Filter discs mesh varies from 10 to 500 or more: 10 mesh is coarse; 40 to 60 mesh is intermediate, and 100 to 500mesh is a fine mesh.

Most filter disc meshes have a simple square mesh weave in each direction. A Dutch weave has thicker wires in the horizontal direction and is specified by two numbers-for example, 24 x 100 mesh.  Dutch weave allows fine filtration without requiring multiple thin screens in a screen pack.

Traditionally, filter discs are inserted with the coarsest mesh against the breaker plate and the finest mesh facing the screw. For example, the mesh arrangement from breaker plate to screw might be 40 mesh/60 mesh/80 mesh. This construction keeps screens from breaking and "blowing" contamination through the breaker-plate holes.