Stencil

A stencil in the meaning of a device is a sheet of film , paper , or other material in which several through holes of various shapes, or segments that make up the original image , are cut out. When making a stencil, the picture is divided into segments so that when drawing the stencil does not break, and the image remains readable, the criterion of artistic expression is taken into account in stansil art.

Views

Stencils can be divided into groups according to different criteria.

• By the number of layers - single-layer and multi-layer stencils.
• By duration of use: disposable and reusable.
• According to the material: paper, cardboard, film, metal and others.
• At the place of use: in production, in art, in design, in cooking, etc.

Materials

In street art

The most common material for making a stencil with a format up to A3 is paper for a printer, whatman paper is better for large formats.

In Electronics Manufacturing

Stencils made of thin foil are used for applying technological materials, such as solder paste , glue , paint on a printed circuit board in the production of electronics . Stencils are made of various thicknesses, which determines the amount of applied material. For applying the material, specialized manual or automatic printers are used , in which the stencil is fixed. Application of the material is carried out using a doctor blade or spatula , during the movement of which the solder paste or glue is pressed through the holes in the stencil.

Others

Stencils for interior design can be made of flexible plastic or paper. Stencils for children are made of more rigid plastic. Stencils for mehndi are paper and plastic.

Manufacturing Technique

Handmade

1. Create an image . The original image is drawn by hand or printed on a printer. To create large stencils, you can use the separation of the original electronic image into segments, followed by printing on a printer and combining. When processing photos, the function of reducing the number of colors is used - posterization . This stage also includes determining the location, number and shape of the bridges connecting the stencil parts.
2. Printing out . Two segments of the image printed on sheets of A4 paper can be connected with tape. If the image is larger than A3, then the images printed on the printer can be pasted onto the paper using glue stick and removed after cutting.
3. Cutting out . For cutting stencils manually, a stationery knife or a modeling knife are most often used. The cutting process takes place on a special rug, or on a piece of fiberboard , glass or plastic. Errors during cutting can be corrected with adhesive tape and pieces of paper or film.

Production on special equipment

1. Cutting plotter . Prices for household plotters start at 10,000 rubles, which makes them affordable for wide sections of the population.
2. Laser cutting . In modern production, stencils are made on specialized laser cutting units, which, according to the program, burn the stencil material with high accuracy. After manufacturing, for the final processing of the edges, the material, such as a metal stencil, is subjected to a grinding process that facilitates the separation of paste or glue from the stencil.
3. Cutting on a CNC milling machine. For the manufacture of stencils also use a CNC milling machine designed for cutting sheet materials. On such machines it is possible to produce large-sized stencils, used, in particular, for applying navigational markings in large parking lots or airfields, for marking rolling stock on the railway or military equipment.

Usage

In art

Stencils are used to create works of art known as stensil art .

Street art

In graffiti, stencils are used to increase the clarity of a picture or to quickly reproduce a picture many times. In other words, writers use it, for example, when you need to add a lot of the same small, but clearly drawn elements or put a tag

They can also be used as an independent means of artistic expression.

As a rule, such stencils are made manually from paper or cardboard . The image is cut with a razor , stationery knife or a knife for modeling and design. It is applied with a spray can of paint .

Other

• Stencils are successfully used for outdoor advertising. With their help, advertising messages are applied to asphalt or other road surface. The advantages of such advertising are its cheapness and efficiency. Such advertising campaigns were called "pirate" or, in short, "pirate". Despite the unpretentiousness, not only small entrepreneurs, but also large brands resort to such an advertising strategy. For example, world-famous companies specializing in the production of equipment for running, place their symbols and slogans on treadmills with the help of stencils. And in this way they achieve contact with their target audience.
• Stencils are used for propaganda by various social movements .
• Stencils are used to decorate living spaces.
• Small plastic stencils are used as children's toys .
• In industry and in the army , large-sized stencils are used. They are used for quick application of large marks, markings or for speed numbering. As a rule, it is enough to hold a roller with paint over the entire surface of the stencil 2-3 times.
• In drawing, metal or plastic stencils facilitate the application of inscriptions and standard geometric shapes on the drawings .
• In the 70s and 80s of the 20th century, posters were made using stencils. Several types of specially designed screen fonts are known.
• Stencils can be used to apply whole sentences, such as the famous inscription “ Citizens! During shelling this side of the street is the most dangerous ”on Nevsky Prospekt .
• Sometimes stencils are used in printing , for example, in a rotator .
• Stencils are used to apply patterns on the skin of henna - mehndi .
• Stencils are used to decorate cakes and other culinary products with powdered sugar or cocoa .
• Stencils are used to apply patterns and images to a cappuccino .

Views

Stencils can be divided into groups according to different criteria.

• By the number of colors: two-tone and multi-color.
• By colors: black and white and color.
• On the used technique: stencil technique and technique using painting, graffiti or poster art (mixed technique)

Colors

• For drawing a pattern through a stencil, spray paints are most often used. Famous brands of spray paints are Montana (Germany), MTN (Spain), Molotow (Germany), Sabotaz80 (Greece). Often used lower quality and cheaper Abro (USA), Bosny.
• To cover large areas , waterborne paint can be used.
• To decorate using interior stencils and various objects, acrylic paint can be used, applied with a brush, tampon or sponge.
• Small stencils can be stained with a permanent marker.

• Cap ( English Сap ) - a cap to an aerosol can, spraying paint in a special way. For applying stencils, various caps are used. Caps giving a wide stream of paint are convenient for painting large areas.
• An islet is a part of the stencil that is held on “bridges”.
• Bridges - stencil parts holding islands . For example, if you remove the “bridges” on the stencil in the letter “o”, the “island” will fall out and the letter will turn into a round hole.
• Overspray - ( overspray ) - literal translation as "excessive dispersion." A trace of paint around the stencil, as well as droplets of paint falling under the stencil that is not pressed tight enough to the surface to be painted.
• Trafic - stencil.
• Bomb - create illegal images on the streets, including using a stencil.

• 2010 - Exit Through the Gift Shop (“ Exit Through the Souvenir Shop ”) - Raiter Banksy 's film about Street

Artists

• C215
• Banksy
• Ernest Pignon Ernest

Gallery

• Screen printing
• Rotator (printing) - a printing machine that copies through a stencil.
• GROWTH WINDOWS

• A lesson on the manufacture of stencils in pictures.
• Tutorial stencil making in Photoshop with illustrations.
• Multi- layer stencil lessons
• Page of a famous stencil artist, Banksy