Stencil
design specifications and features - FAQ's
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|
1. What is a stencil? |
| 2.
What is stencil mylar? |
| 3.
How thick is the mylar? |
| 4.
What is a laser cut stencil? |
| 5.
Are the stencils pre-cut? |
| 6.
What are stencil sheets or overlays? |
| 7.
What do the letters and numbers on the stencil sheets mean? |
| 8.
What is included in a stencil package? |
| 9.
How do I clean my stencils? |
| 10.
How do I repair a broken stencil? |
1. What is a stencil?
A stencil is a thin piece of plastic film or other impervious
material with cut out design areas. It is placed flat against
the surface to be stenciled allowing paint to pass through the
cut out areas. The Stencil Ease system lets both the beginner
and experienced user the ability to stencil beautiful designs.
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2. What is stencil mylar?
Mylar is the flexible plastic material from which stencils
are cut. Most of the material used at Stencil Ease is a durable
and flexible blue mylar that is cut with a laser.
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3. How thick is the mylar?
Our blue mylar is 7 mils thick and our milky white mylar
is 4 mils thick. With proper care and cleaning, both types are
durable enough to be used over and over.
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4. What is a laser cut stencil?
Laser cut stencils are stencils produced on a special machine
which uses a laser beam to cut designs into mylar sheets. These
stencils are cut with a precision that was unobtainable in the
past with die cut or hand cut stencils. The edges of the cutouts
are crisp and there are no pieces for the user to punch out.
This precise cutting is a plus for our more intricate stencil
designs and our designs that have many overlays. Laser cut stencils
use a triangle registration system for overlay, design alignment.
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5. Are the stencils pre-cut?
All of Stencil Ease stencils are pre-cut.
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6. What are stencil sheets or overlays?
Stencil sheets are the whole sheets of mylar. Sheet sizes
differ to accommodate the size of each design. Overlays refer
to the numbered sections that are used to complete a design.
Multiple overlays allow quick and easy application of different
colors, and stenciling is done in the order in which the stencils
are marked - print 1, print 2, etc. There may be more overlays
than there are stencil sheets in a design. Multiple overlays
or design areas may be cut on a single stencil sheet.
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7. What do the letters and numbers on the stencil
sheets mean?
Stencil Ease stencil sheets include a series of letters
and numbers which identify a particular design. Included would
be one or more of the following:
- SE which denotes a Stencil Ease stencil design
- the stencil product number
- the stencil overlay number and the total number of overlays
(On a three overlay stencil design, the first overlay would
be marked 1-1,
the second 1-2, and the third 1-3.)
- Cxx where xx is a two digit number representing the copyright
year
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8. What is included in a stencil package?
Each stencil package comes with a full color frontsheet,
stencil overlays, and general stenciling directions. The frontsheet
shows a colored design which is used as a color placement guide.
It also shows the steps used to complete the design and gives
information about the stencil including its size and the paint
colors used.
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9. How do I clean my stencils?
The method used to clean your mylar stencils depends
upon the type of paint you are using. However, in all cases
clean them gently so as not to bend the cutout areas. Also,
clean them thoroughly; paint that is left to dry completely
will not come off. If you take care of your stencils, you will
be able to reuse them over and over again.
To make a good cleaning surface which will protect your
tabletop or counter, cover several layers of newspaper with
clean paper towels. Use this to lay your stencils on while cleaning.
Our Spill Proof( paint has a long drying time. If needed, excess
paint may be periodically wiped off the stencil using a dry
paper towel. Remember to make sure paint has not collected on
the back side of the stencil which touches the wall. When you
are done stenciling for the day, wipe the stencil with dry paper
towels to remove as much of the paint as possible. If needed,
with a paper towel dipped in mineral spirits, give the stencil
a final cleaning on both sides and allow to air dry.
Our Japan paint contains a drying agent, which allows it to
dry quickly on the stenciled surface. This also tends to make
it dry on the mylar and collect along the edges of the cutouts.
Periodically during the stenciling process, wipe the paint off
both sides of the stencil with a paper towel dipped in mineral
spirits. Make sure the stencil is completely dry before continuing
with your project. When you are done stenciling for the day,
using the same process, clean the stencil thoroughly on both
sides and air dry.
If you are using a water based paint, the stencil may be wiped
with a paper towel or sponge dampened with water. Do this periodically
before the paint dries on the stencil. When stenciling is complete,
give the stencil a thorough cleaning with water and air dry.
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10. How do I repair a broken stencil?
If a stencil is used or cleaned too vigorously, there
is the slight possibility that a tear could occur. If this happens,
it most likely would be in an area of the stencil where a bridge
(an uncut, dividing portion of the stencil) is very narrow.
A successful repair can be made with the use of Scotch 'magic'
tape and an X-Acto or craft knife. On a flat surface, the torn
portion is repositioned to its original state. A small piece
of tape is placed on the top of the stencil and another on the
back. The tape is then trimmed even with the cutout edges using
the craft knife. A sample should be painted on paper to make
sure the repair has been made well.
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