I want to cut stencils with my vinyl cutter. It's just easier and less messy for me than emulsion method, since I'm not doing intricate designs.
I contacted Ulano and they suggested StaySharp for water-based inks. But I could also go plastisol with water-based stencil. I don't know if Ulano makes this stencil material also.
Anyone here cut stencils w/ the vinyl cutter? If so, does it work well (easy weed, no perforation on backing sheet, etc.)? Any other vendors out there in addition of Ulano you have tried? Thanks for any advice.
Ive done it with the green film. It was ok to weed. Not as easy as decal vinyl, but it is not hard, believe me. It didnt cut trough the backing or anything. I didnt use it myself. I cut it for someone else who does old-fashioned screenprinting and it worked well for him. I have some remains at home and could send you a cut sample if you wish.
Joe
Thanks for the reply. Yes, the StaySharp is green. I remember it from the ol' days when I cut by hand. I haven't decided to go that route, or use the stencil material that's water soluble. Thanks for the offer.
Thanks. I thought about going that route, but wondered if the vinyl would degrade if you're doing a large run. And if the ink would get underneath the edges of the vinyl since it really isn't bonded to the screen like the Ulano material.
I've done it for a while; the trick is to put it on the ink side (non substrate) of the screen. the receptive (adhesive/"sticky") side of the vinyl will collect ink and eventually fall off, while the other side is made to withstand the elements and will repel the ink. not sure of other's experiences with this method, but it's worked great for me.
I had seen this video some time ago, and I have the same brand cutter. However, the video didn't address how the vinyl would fare after many repeated uses. And it didn't address the quality of the imprint (did the edges curl, did the ink get under the vinyl at all, etc.). But thanks for the heads-up. It's probably worth doing it this way just to see how well it does.
If this does work I can see one great advantage over the Ulano. It doesn't require any special adhesion to the screen. With the Ulano you have to apply the stencil either with water or solvent. In either case, from what I've heard, it's not a simple thing like peeling vinyl and sticking it to the screen. Hope it works.
I do it all the time. It really depends on how complex the design is, though. Also remember that it takes time to weed vinyl, and if you mess up a little piece or tear it at all, it'll show very easily. If it's a simple logo with big lettering or design, vinyl works great and is much faster; if it's intricate or a list of names (like in a play), emulsion is the only serious option. For runs over 100, I'd still use emulsion; you could potentially re-make the screen when the vinyl starts to wear though.
It's definitely a simple design, large letters (at least 1 - 1 1/2" high). I can't forsee doing more than 75 or 100 pieces, but if it went to a larger run, I wouldn't mind making 4 screens and limiting use to 60 pieces each.
I'm trying to do a few things to speed up production without breaking the bank at first. As money comes in, I plan to upgrade to better equipment and processes.
Anyone cut screen stencil on vinyl cutter? 
