Silkscreen Stencil Information:

 

How are silkscreen stencils different from traditional stencils? 

Traditional stencils are usually made from plastic material such as mylar. 

Silk screen stencils are made from adhesive vinyl that is permanently fused to polyester silk screen mesh. Silkscreen stencils are more flexible than plastic stencils and will lay flat across the surface of the cookie.

 

What are the advantages of using a silkscreen stencil? 

Silkscreen stencil designs don’t require bridges for open or floating sections. For example the letter B has two floating sections. With a traditional stencil, a bridge would be placed through the middle of the letter so the floating sections wouldn’t fall out when the stencil is cut. With a silkscreen stencil, a bridge is not required because the openings are secured in place by the silkscreen and vinyl bond leading to a more complete look.

Silkscreens can help achieve more crisp lines because it helps to prevent icing or airbrush color from bleeding underneath the stencil openings. When stenciling with royal icing, it will leave a lower profile of icing on the surface of the cookie which is easier to add details over the stenciled design.

 

Application techniques:

When using royal icing with silkscreen stencils, you will scrape the icing through the mesh with a silicone or plastic spatula to force it onto the surface being stenciled. Make sure the surface of the icing has fully dried before stenciling. In my climate, usually 4 hours is sufficient for applying a stencil with light pressure. (8 hours or overnight is best if you are using firm pressure for small details such as fine lettering.) Scrape the icing in multiple directions to ensure full coverage and then remove any excess icing off the top of the stencil before slowly lifting it off the cookie. 

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It is helpful to use a stencil holder to secure the stencil while scraping your icing. If you don’t have a stencil holder you can hold the stencil in place with one hand while you are scraping the icing with your other hand. Hold down the top corner of the stencil while slowly lifting the stencil off the cookie to prevent the icing from smearing. 

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Silkscreen stencils can be used with an airbrush, but you will need to use a slightly different technique than you would use with a traditional stencil to prevent the color from pooling underneath. You want to use low pressure and fast passes for airbrushing with a silkscreen stencil.

 

Silkscreen care/general product information:

To clean your silkscreen, gently hand wash with lukewarm water and mild dish soap. Pat dry with a lint free towel, or allow to lay flat on a paper towel to air dry. Make sure the stencil is fully dry before storing in its original packaging.

 

*Using hot water or soaking the stencil could start to break down the adhesion of the silkscreen. Silkscreen stencils are NOT dishwasher safe.

 

Please note that silkscreen stencils are hand made, therefore slight imperfections are to be expected. Polyester silkscreen mesh is a fabric and it may start to fray along the edges with prolonged use. Stray fibers can be trimmed with a sharp scissors and discarded.