A Brief Introduction
to Municipal Adhesives StencilS
Although very rewarding (as in, there may be a reward issued for your arrest), our stencils are not as easy to use as our stickers, and take a craftier hand. Learn some pitfalls of spraypainting stencils and the lingo associated with them.
toy /tɔɪ/n, adj. (infml., disapprov) 1. a novice graffiti writer 2. a piece of graffiti that gives the appearance that a novice graffiti writer created it.
Can be improved with practice, calm demeanor, smooth movements, and technique.
overspray /ˈoʊ.vɚspreɪ/ n. when paint goes over and outside of the stencil, which betrays lack of confidence as well as competence.
Can be avoided if one holds the paint can closer to the surface, increasing the size of the paint mask (See below!)
underspray/ˈʌn.dɚspreɪ/n. when paint gets under your stencil, obscuring the intended paint mask and making it more difficult to read or interpret the piece.
Can be avoided by using less paint, holding the paint can farther away from the surface, pushing the stencil against the surface with a gloved finger, and using a thin layer of repositionable spray adhesive on the underside of the stencil (e.g. Scotch Spray Mount)
clean /kliːn/adj. all spraypainted stencil pieces contain both underspray and overspray. A clean spray is one that minimizes both as much as possible, maintaining clarity of the image and legibility of the text.
Mask Your Stencil:
- Cut the first piece of cardstock vertically, hotdog style, as seen in figure a.
- Cut the second piece of cardstock horizontally, hamburger style, as seen in figure b.
- Line up the long pieces with the long side of the stencil, and the short pieces with the short sides, and tape them to the stencil as seen in figure c.
note: the sticky triangle of the tape that is not stuck to the stencil or the cardstock mask can help hold the stencil to the surface you are painting.
Safety Tips for the Dangerous
Go in pairs: A second person can keep an eye out for people (badged or otherwise) who might interrupt your activities. In addition to giving you time and space to concentrate on the task at hand, it will build trust between you to act in other ways together, knowing they will have your back and you will have theirs.
Wear gloves: You don’t want to be caught literally red-handed! In addition, the finished product will benefit from some pressure from a finger or two in the center of the stencil holding it to the surface as you paint.
Every stencil order includes the preceding instructions inside the envelope. Read this page, or download them here: