Stencils from scratch…

You already know the history of stenciling. Today we invite you to take a look behind the scenes – we will show you what are the current ways of creating stencils, we will explain the materials they are made of and we will tell you something about our production solutions.

Creating stencils at home is trivially easy. Just transfer the chosen pattern onto a rigid material and cut out the parts you want to paint. The decoration can be printed on a sheet and then cut out with a knife on cardboard or thick foil. The unquestionable advantages of such stencils are: a very individual character of the creation, the entire range of possibilities to choose the pattern and its low price. However, the quality of workmanship is worth considering. Unfortunately, with this kind of handicraft you have to take into account the fact that it is one-off – if you want to paint several patterns, you need the same amount of stencils. This is time-consuming and means that the ornaments can be different from each other through irregular cut-outs. 

But how about ready-made stencils? 

Choosing a ready-made stencil will certainly save us a lot of time associated with its preparation, and the available range of designs should satisfy various tastes. When deciding to buy one, you should have a look at the variants available on the market. We divide painting stencils into disposable and reusable ones. The former are usually made of self-adhesive film, which allows for easy attachment of the product to the place to be decorated. After painting the cut out fragments you tear off the stencil and that is the end of your work. An unquestionable advantage of this solution is the accuracy with which the self-adhesive film adheres. Thanks to it, there is a small risk of paint dripping. On the other hand, a reusable stencil is an investment in decorating a large area of interior. This product is slightly more expensive than the disposable version, but definitely cheaper than wallpaper. Choosing the single-use version, we decide in advance to decorate only in a specific place and size. When creating a composition, we have to decide on the purchase of several stencils, which may turn out to be more expensive than choosing the reusable version. An additional advantage of the multi-use variant is the possibility to mirror the pattern. Just rotate it to get a different look at the design, making the decoration more attractive. 

In the case of stencils we can also talk about a division into the ways of making them – they can be laser burned or cut out with a knife. Laser works not only for metal products. It has also found its application in cutting out fabrics, both natural and artificial. The light beam is extremely fast, which makes production more efficient. The tool wears out less frequently, even with very complex decorative elements. The laser melts the pattern pieces in a controlled manner so that the edges should have a smooth finish, although the edges may turn brown. In this case compressed air should be used during production. Working with a knife guarantees the accuracy of each cut pattern. Even the smallest parts of the ornament when cut out will be as precise as in a graphics program. The edges are smooth, don’t mess, and don’t form bulges, which can occur, for example, when burning plastic with a laser. However, the disadvantage of this technique is the frequent wear of the blade, which increases operating costs.

And now something about us:

Our stencils are made from 0.3mm thick flexible polypropylene film, so they adhere perfectly to flat surfaces. We use high quality knives so that our machines can make the patterns with as much precision as possible. We rejected the use of laser cutting to avoid burnt and uneven pieces of material. This would make it impossible to accurately repaint the design – the paint could run under the stencil, leaving unsightly marks that could no longer be described as decorative. We use plastic, which is fully recyclable, so even after maximum use of the stencil it can get another life. The thickness of the material allows the stencil to be used in various techniques – from the simplest paint to complicated arrangements using structural paste and decorative plaster.