How do I make a stencil?

[Rookie]

I've got CorelDraw Graphics Suite x5 and a Summa D75 plotter. How do I make a stencil? The stencil will be used to paint details on painted MDO. Thanks much!

 

[Ghost Prophet]

I don't know much about your plotter... But when I'm making stencils I usually just print out what I want on card stock and cut it by hand for spray paint. Why not give that a shot to get a better understanding of how stencils work before making a more complicated and potentially more expensive stencil?

Once you make a card stock stencil you can trace it over metal, wood, or whatever you like and use a variety of saws or drimmels to duplicate.

Often times more than one stencil to complete a design is necessary.

 

[Kottwitz-Graphics]

Using a stencil vinyl, cut the image (since your using a Summa, you send it to WinPlot), and just weed what you want painted, apply just as you would with vinyl, paint, remove, done...couldn't much easier than that.

I've got CorelDraw Graphics Suite x5 and a Summa D75 plotter. How do I make a stencil? The stencil will be used to paint details on painted MDO. Thanks much!

 

[Gino]

By details..... are you eventually going to be painting letters or designs ??

 

[vinylbarry]

By stencil do you want a 1 time use or did you want to use it over and over?
We cut multi use stencils out of polytough.

 

[Rookie]

Thanks for all of your help! The stencil would be used over and over (by me) and it's for an optical illusion element on a hand painted sign. I could plot it out and apply it in vinyl but it would involve intense weeding and a lot of vinyl wasted.So, I thought I'd try the stencil thing. I have used the overhead projector sheet to make a stencil in the past, but the design is quite a bit larger....

 

[Marlene]

ae you making a mask for painting or a stencil? for a mask, I have masking material that I run thru my plotter. it is cheap, thicker than cast vinyl, more like crappy calendar vinyl but sticks and doesn't leak. for a stencil to use over and over again, routed plastic works, not sure about what you can put thru a plotter.

 

[geb]

Paint mask material might be worth a look, I'd recommend the 3m, I bought a whole roll your welcome to a little bit for a try if you like.

 

[Rookie]

I've got to put an order in for vinyl and tape so I'll get some mask material too and give that a whirl. I think it may be my best option for this job. And thank you geb - I appreciate the offer and the help.

 

[Ghost Prophet]

Have you considered wheatpaste?

I hear it works great outdoors...
http://www.ehow.com/how_6370188_graffiti-wheat-paste.html

 

[TyrantDesigner]

I've got CorelDraw Graphics Suite x5 and a Summa D75 plotter. How do I make a stencil? The stencil will be used to paint details on painted MDO. Thanks much!

Seriously?

Throw a sharpy into your plotter with heavy paper (home despot has rolls of brown paper for like $6) ... "cut" your design with your sharpy then just pull out and exacto and get to hand cutting.

when you go to stencil, spray some spray adhesive on the paper lightly so it will ever so stick to the MDO and spray away ... peel off when paint sets up in 15 minutes.

look at youtube videos on how to cut stencils in paper and what you need so you don't end up with little pieces ... i don't have the energy for that much of a stencil 101 today.

also if it's a one off ... just cut vinyl to do the same thing. .... older rolls (3+ years old) really don't have the adhesive strength to grip ... i save them for paint mask .... or just get some paint mask vinyl.

oh and unless you want to fork out the cash for a routed plastic stencil ... eventually all stencils WILL die.

 

[visualeyez]

I have done large parking lot handicap symbol stencils on our Roland printer, on cal laminated print media cal vinyl. Just set it up with large bridges, set your blade depth (this is the trick) and cut with 300g/force with 2 cut passes. For smaller stuff, play and test...