Making Your First Ikonart Stencil | Nici Handmade

In this guest video Karen Fraser with Nici Handmade shows us how she makes a reusable Ikonart silkscreen stencil. She not only shows HOW to do it, but explains WHY she is doing each step. This video is perfect for anyone who is feeling intimidated making their first stencil! She shows everything in real time, including washout, so you can easily follow along.
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NOTE: Karen is using our original acrylic Ikonart stand. You do NOT need the back matte cardboard with our new metal stand.
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Time stamps:
1:22 - HOW The Film Works with the Exposure Light
2:02 - Print Artwork & WHY Printing Dark is Important
3:14 - Trimming Stencil Film to Size Needed
4:00 - Expose the Stencil Film & WHY Rubbing Down is Important
5:32 - Washout Stencil & WHY High Pressure is Important
6:28 - WHY Soaking Stencils Helps With Washout
7:45 - WHY Your Water Temperature Matters
10:57 - Post-exposure: WHAT It Is & WHY We Do It
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Products used:
Ikonart Custom Stencil Kit: ikonartstencil...
Spray Nozzle: www.amazon.com...
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If you have any additional questions about Ikonart, please let us know in the comments. Happy crafting!
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ikonartstencil...
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Join the Ikonart Family in the Ikonart Crafters Group on Facebook: / ikonartcrafters
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Facebook: @ikonartstencil
Instagram: @ikonartstencil
KZbin: Ikonart Stencil
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Follow Karen on social media:
Facebook: @nicihandmade
Instagram: @nicihandmade
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[@d.m.3719]

I come from the cricut world too and find this whole process so intriguing! I also thought mirroring meant flipping your image. In high school, I took a photography course at vo-tech and we learned the chemical bath system and exposure process for film. It was amazing watching our photos come to life, trying to get the timing right was tricky, but it was a great experience. Being a crafter, this is awesome since I can print this on my ink jet printer and no chemical baths or dark rooms are needed!

[@ikonartstencil]

Thank you for watching and sharing! Our films make it so much easier because the mesh is pre-coated with emulsion. So much easier and cleaner!

[@VickiEsDesigns]

Awesome. Thank you so much for the the ‘why’ of the steps. Very much appreciated. Now…. Can’t wait to create something!

[@ikonartstencil]

You are so welcome! Let us know if you have any questions.

[@carolynmoffatt3567]

This is a lovely video. And the tip about using Silhouette Studio for design is fabulous. I was wrestling with creating designs in Word because i didn’t want to pay big bucks for Photoshop type programs. This is the subtle tip you didn’t know would be so helpful! The rest of the video is super straightforward and lovely and I like your relatable helpful way of delivering the info. Best Ikonart tutorial I’ve seen. Thanks again!

[@ikonartstencil]

Thanks for watching and let us know if you have any questions! :)

[@marietheresebegue7291]

Thanks à lot, is there à product instead water. Sorry to tell you that, but water is precious and rare where I leave.

[@medhnatsbha2754]

You're an awesome teacher! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

[@ikonartstencil]

I appreciate that!

[@TwistedArtist]

Fabulous video! Great info for us newbies!! Thank you!

[@ikonartstencil]

Glad it was helpful! :)

[@lisetz40]

Love this video!! It explained so much for me. I just bought the Ikonart system and have been afraid to try it because I wasn't sure of the steps. This is great information for beginners like myself. Thanks for posting this!

[@ikonartstencil]

You got this Lisa!! 💙💜

[@user-dd9eg7mq7r]

Thank you so much for this video. You explain everything so well.

[@ikonartstencil]

Thanks for watching!

[@belindamason8286]

Awesome and so helpful!!! Thanks tons!!

[@ikonartstencil]

Glad it was helpful!

[@leannecartlidge6171]

Thankyou for sharing this, I'm in the UK. I've just purchased my IKON art kit and I will be using a laser printer so this is very helpful. Thankyou

[@ikonartstencil]

Welcome Leanne!

[@casoriginal]

Thank you for sharing such a thorough video. I used to run a silkscreen printing press so I am very familiar with this process.

[@ikonartstencil]

You are so welcome!

[@aleciafarley2583]

Thank you! Your video answered all the questions I had about the steps to make these.

[@ikonartstencil]

Love to hear that!! :)

[@DWIT3D]

Okay, now I am yet another step closer to trying this in my business... not quite there, but I'll watch more videos and perhaps take the plunge!

[@ikonartstencil]

Let us know if you have any questions!

[@martyrice5299]

Excellent video showing the steps!!

[@ikonartstencil]

Thanks Marty :)

[@christinelafond7800]

merci beaucoup, super tuto

[@ikonartstencil]

You're welcome. Thank you for watching!

[@kennalentz3776]

Great video and tips!!!!

[@ikonartstencil]

Glad you liked it!

[@barbarastockman1375]

Is the backing sheet on sticky side on during exposure and washout?

[@paulat6129]

That was great thank you

[@ikonartstencil]

💙💜

[@83144600]

Hi, does this Stencil have an Adhesive on the back to stick it to an object? And can it be used with an electrolyte on metal etching? I do use silk screens for this but they ''Ghost'' on sides when etching. I'm trying to find an Adhesive stencil alternative to stop that. My text is 3 mm high so can't be cut on a vinyl machine Any ideas? Thanks Peter

[@ikonartstencil]

Yes we do have people who use our blue film for electro etching

[@nancyhomrich5275]

I have an inkjet printer. Does it matter which side of the clear sheet you print on? One side seems a little smoother than the other side where my finger drags on it a little.

[@ikonartstencil]

Print on the side where your finger drags a little

[@nancyhomrich5275]

@@ikonartstencil Thank you!

[@jennizona]

Can you do wash out with a power washer outside to wash out faster or is that too powerful? We live in the desert so water is a premium here and we try not to be wasteful with it.

[@ikonartstencil]

You could try it, but it’s probably too much pressure. Plus you would be washing out in the hot desert sun so you’re stencil will still be exposing while you’re washing out. That could make it really difficult. My recommendation would be a dental water pic or high pressure kitchen faucet instead. As long as you have dark artwork and you soak your stencil for 45 seconds to a minute in a little bit of water first, your washout shouldn’t take longer than a minute.

[@kevinleong4467]

This whole video you are filming looks like you can actually see... You aren't in a dark room so I am wondering what kind of lights are on and if I have to worry about sunlight if I am just going from a room straight to the sink and rinsing it off.

[@ikonartstencil]

We work in regular lighting. Yes, protect your stencil from the sun and UV light even when just walking to the sink!

[@Hdgsgdhsh]

1:25 I instantly thought of Mufasa talking to Simba on the mountain right before his brother killed him 🦁

[@ikonartstencil]

😅

[@reneewilliams9919]

Great video. A few quick questions. Do you only put non-worded images face down on the blue sheet? If you have words on your stencil, I'm assuming it would go face up on top of the blue sheet so it's readable?

[@ikonartstencil]

Yes, you want your words to be readable when you make your stencil. We recommend to mirror/flip your image when you print so you can still put the ink side of your artwork touching the stencil film during exposure. However we have lots of customers who choose not to do that step and still get great results. It is most important when you have lots of fine details in your artwork.

[@reneewilliams9919]

@@ikonartstencil ..thanks for the explanation! Makes sense now :)

[@knicabrac]

@@ikonartstencil The instructions I have in my kit doesn't say anything about the ink side of the artwork needing to touch the stencil. It only says place the artwork on the stencil film the way you want your final stencil to look.

[@ikonartstencil]

@@knicabrac Mirroringbuour artwork is optional. On the first page of the Quick Start Guide, the last paragraph in the first column states: “Optional: Reflect (mirror) your artwork before printing for high detailed artwork and to make washout faster.”

[@knicabrac]

@@ikonartstencil I guess it's my confusion in the wording then, because I come from the Cricut cutting machine world and when you say "mirror" that means you flip the image in the software before you "print" (cut out) your image on your cutting machine. So when it says mirror and print, I took that to mean in the software before printing on the laser film. I still think it should simply say place the ink side down touching the stencil material and if you have wording in the image, mirror the image before printing on the "laser film". That way all exposing methods are the same, i.e. ink side down touching the stencil. Thank you for your response, and I love the product!

[@mamatapatel5084]

to print the image, can I use regulars Brother Printer? Which company printer did you use to print your image?

[@ikonartstencil]

We use a Canon Pixma iX6820 but any inkjet or laser printer can be used

[@everestpatel8307]

I can use Transparency film on regular printer like inkjet or laser printer instead of using printer paper?

[@ikonartstencil]

@@everestpatel8307 We prefer using our printer films because we coat them with a special coating to make the ink darker.

[@thecraftguy21]

Can we clean and reuse the stencils to make new designs ?

[@ikonartstencil]

After you use the stencil you can wash & dry it and use it again and again, but you can’t put a new design on the used stencil sheet

[@sunnybunny222]

thanks for sharing. i noticed that you didn't touch the stencil while you were spraying it. is it alright to rub it? or is that a no no? Thanks.

[@ikonartstencil]

It’s best not to rub it at all or you could wear down the emulsion/coating that you want to remain

[@sunnybunny222]

@@ikonartstencil Thank you!

[@annesauer72]

Hi, I tried making the stencils and in the washout process, eventually more will go than I bargained for. I followed the Ikonart video first, didn't work, and now the same thing happened. it's like the blue film surrounding the stencil gets soft too. Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?

[@ikonartstencil]

Hello Anneke. Sounds like it could be a few things... not exposing long enough, using too hot of water for washout, or using too high of pressure. Please reach out to our customer service so we can further troubleshoot your issue ikonartstencil.com/contact/

[@bushkillrealty1817]

Seems like a lot of water, I'm curious if you can soak it longer and spray less?

[@ikonartstencil]

Yes, you can soak up to a minute

[@everestpatel8307]

Hello which software do you use to download or print image for silkscreen?

[@ikonartstencil]

I use either Illustrator or Inkscape. Check out our “Artwork” playlist for videos on artwork for Ikonart. Here are some other program options as well ikonartstencil.com/artwork-faq/

[@mamatapatel5084]

@@ikonartstencil Do you pay for Inkscape or Illustrator? is abode Illustrator you use? thanks

[@ikonartstencil]

@@mamatapatel5084 InkScape is free, Illustrator is paid

[@BLANCAP1000]

Now you made want to go out and buy an ikonart machine !

[@ikonartstencil]

Love to hear that!

[@deniseboineau6440]

Do you post expose both sides of the stencil?

[@ikonartstencil]

You can if washout took you a really long time due to your artwork not printing dark enough, but we just do 2 minutes on the topside

[@deniseboineau6440]

@@ikonartstencil thank you!

[@LadyBug-xp1ox]

I don’t have a sprayer attachment on any of my sinks. When rinsing the screen, what is the best method to use if you don’t have a powerful sprayer attachment?

[@ikonartstencil]

We have some customers who use a water pik

[@LadyBug-xp1ox]

@@ikonartstencil I actually got a Waterpik for Christmas last year, lol. I guess that's what I will try. Thanks!

[@sandybiluk5479]

Basically it's a UV light or "black" light?

[@ikonartstencil]

Our light is a UV LED light. All UV lights will have a different nanometer output, so our recommended exposure time is specific to our light.

[@joecornejo7454]

love the video. I worked with this film before. The only problem is this film is very expensive

[@ikonartstencil]

$3-$4 per sheet depending which quantity you buy. You can put multiple stencils on a sheet (depending on what size your artwork is) plus they are reusable. We also send out discount codes in our newsletter regularly. I guess it depends what you are comparing it to… vinyl that you can only use one time or pre-imaged silkscreen stencils on the market.

[@tootsiefirst]

Not to mention a really high water bill!

[@Hdgsgdhsh]

Can I get those blue sheets at any craft store ?

[@ikonartstencil]

No… we sell them directly on our website and on Amazon

[@Hdgsgdhsh]

@@ikonartstencil great thank you ! Can the cricut make the vinyl stencils as well ? Or that silhouette thing ? Sorry I’m asking for my sister I know nothing 😂

[@ikonartstencil]

@@Hdgsgdhsh Cricut and Silhouette can both make vinyl stencils. Our stencils aren’t vinyl though. They are silkscreen stencils that have a mesh embedded in it. You have to expose and washout (vs vinyl stencils that you have to cut and weed). Our stencils are reusable and vinyl stencils are one-time use.

[@Hdgsgdhsh]

@@ikonartstencil huge help!!! Thank youuu

[@user-jt5vm3mi1w]

such high pressure water is illegal here

[@ikonartstencil]

You can soak your stencil and wash out with a water pik