I learned how to cut a perfect stencil after a lot of trial and error. Even I still make mistakes sometimes, it’s not an exact art. You’ll find yourself getting overconfident and then BAM, you’ve gone over the line.
Use my tips and you’ll get an almost perfect cut each time. Test it out on a printed coloring sheet, one with heaps of patterns like this Zentangle print from Riot Art & Craft, and you'll end up with a cool cutout print that you can display with washi tape on a coloured board or wall.
Use a sharp scalpel: Yeah, it’s a bit of a no-brainer, but it needs to be mentioned. If you’re doing a big job, especially with thicker card, you might need to change mid- job.
Don’t use the tip of the blade: When you’re cutting, use the tip of the blade to pierce the line, then bring the angle down and use the front half of the blade to cut. It’s all about the angles.
Keep your elbows and wrist loose: Don’t tense up, keep yourself loose. Tensing up will cause jagged cuts.
Don’t be afraid to turn the cutting mat: You want to use the best angle to make the best cut, this might mean turning the cutting mat or even moving yourself to get the smoothest line.
Test the paper first: Different GSM’s will need different pressures. Some papers have weaves that cross and can get pulled out by a blunt blade too. Give it a test first.
Perfect corner cuts: Cut into the corner from both sides, not out. This will make sure there’s enough tension in the cut that the corner doesn’t tear, and will make sure you don’t over cut too.
You can go back: It’s much easier to cut a line that’s already been scored. If you’re cutting a thicker card, don’t burn out your blade and your wrist by trying to cut the whole thing the first time.
Use long, sweeping cuts: This is my number one trick. It can be daunting at first, but you just have to ready yourself then go for it. Cut each line in one sweeping cut to get the smoothest line. (Unless it’s a circle, then you’ll want to cut two half-moons.)
If you don't believe me, here's a video of me cutting the Zentangle print:
The finished product:
Recent Comments