A stencil is a thin sheet of material, usually paper, plastic, wood or metal that has a design cut out from it.

How do they work?

The stencil is placed over an underlying surface such as paper and pigment such as ink, is applied on top of the cut out design. As the pigment can only flow through the cut-outs a clear reproduction of the stencil design appears on the paper. This process is known as stencilling

Advantages of a Stencil

• Creates an accurate, clear and consistent image

• Can be used repeatedly to produce the same design

• Allows quick creation of multiple designs

Uses and types

Stencils are ideal for producing lettering and numbering on a wide range of items and signage in commercial premises as well as for domestic use. These stencils consist of individual brass plates with a number or letter cut out of them that can be interlocked to form words or a string of digits. Using letter and number stencils enables legible characters to be transferred quickly and accurately to a wide range of materials