The finished stencil is attached to the back of the screen using tape, Clear film stencils give you nice sharp edge lines and if they are carefully removed(and allowed to dry) they can be used for many subsequent print runs. The film is placed over the top of a design (or has a design traced onto it) and the correct areas are cut out using a sharp blade. Clear-Film (Acetate) StencilsĬlear film can be bought inexpensively by the sheet in different sizes from any art supply store. They can also be used to temporarily (or permanently) cover the backs of screens to block off any areas on the design you do want to print or for covering pin-holes in the emulsion outside the design area. Paper and card stencils degrade quickly and can usually only be used for one session of printing so they are best for short one-off print runs and experiments. The design can be first drawn onto the paper/card and then cut out using scissors or cutting blades before being taped on to the back of the screen. Paper and Cardboard Stencilsīrown butcher’s paper is ideal for cutting stencils from but any strong firm paper or thin card is good. You need to make a new stencil for each separate colour of your design. Simple paper, card or clear film, stencils can be hand-cut and applied to the back of the screen using masking tape(or made using the tape itself) but masking film and emulsion stencils are applied using simple chemical processes. Stencils can be made from a wide variety of materials including paper, thin cardboard, masking tape, clear film (acetate), masking film and photo-emulsion. They function as physical barriers – blocking some holes on the screen’s mesh and allowing ink to penetrate others. Stencils are the means by which designs are applied to a screen. You can print just about any design on paper or fabric- from a simple one colour line drawing to a full colour photograph.

Screen printing inks for paper