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Friday, April 29, 2011
Cutting out stencils is the extra step of a cut-and-paint stencil design. Cut-and-paint stencils require you to actually cut out the openings where paint is applied. However, for the extra work, they provide some great advantages.
Also, cut-and-paint stencils are less expensive use in decorative painting designs in Winnetka. You are not paying for the manufacture, warehousing and shipping of a product. If you can find downloadable stencil designs you can have your stencil immediately and no delay to your project. Just download the design and print out on your printer.
You can purchase sheets of materials like acetate, mylar, wax paper, stencil film or clear overlays. These options allow you to create a permanent stencil that will be resistant to the penetration of oil, dyes, and water-base paints and ink. Simply trace your design onto the stencil film and cut.
You will find many options for materials useful in stencil making. They can be found at your local craft supply store, on line and office supply stores. You’ll find it sold in letter size sheets or rolls for larger stencils. You may even find some clear sheets that will work in your printer or copy machine. When you are looking for a good film for making stencils, you want a material that will accept ink or marker so that you can trace onto it. Look for a matte finish. Also, a matter finish is best for the finished stencil because it will not encourage paint to seep under the edges.
Using a craft-knife cut out the objects on the stencil. Make sure your blade is sharp at all times. Dull blades may cause a paper stencil to tear or not go completely through plastic sheeting. The goal is to cut along each line only once with a firm, smooth motion. With your free hand, hold the stencil firmly and rotate the stencil so that you are always cutting with your wrist at a comfortable angle. This will help you maintain control over the blade and not veer off course.
When cutting past a thin bridge area carefully use a firm finger to hold down the paper. Try to keep your fingers well away from where you are cutting. If you are working with a multi-layer stencil don’t forget to cut out the registration holes in each of the four corners, which will be used for the alignment of the stencil overlays.
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