 Re: Using stencils for screen printing...
There are suppliers for screen printing vinyl which can be cut on a vinyl cutter. Ulano makes a water-soluble vinyl, as well as a solvent-base vinyl. FDC does likewise. If you do a search you will probably find many others. If you're into screen printing you are probably familiar w/ Ulano StaSharp, which is a hand-cut vinyl. Well, the manufacturers have marketed vinyls now that are geared more specifically to vinyl cutters.
You will have to decide whether to use plastisol or water-based inks. The type of stencil will, of course, depend upon that decision. Obviously the stencil has to be non-degradable (to a certain extent) by the formulations in the inks. Can't use water-based inks w/ water-based stencils.
At some point you'll have to decide if you want the stencil to "ride" on the mesh; it sounds as though that's what you've been doing. A good quality image on shirts will probably best be achieved by actually implanting the stencil into the mesh. In this method the stencil is wetted (either w/ water or a solvent, depending upon the type of stencil material) and "pushed" into the mesh.
The quality of the product will in many ways determine how you want to proceed. Hope this helps.
"Statistically speaking, a stitch in time saves 7.3, not 9" | 
