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Concrete Decor - Index

Concrete Decor - Concrete Decor Magazine, The Journal for Decorative Concrete - Index

Technique
Stenciling and Logos
36 | www.ConcreteDecor.net | Dec. ’07/Jan. ’08
by Shellie Rigsby
Because their artistry is computer-generated,
stencils empower every contractor to create
stunning works of art regardless of artistic talent.
It is amazingly simple to produce logos, images,
and artistic effects with exact detail. The concrete
industry has an arsenal of magnifi cent images
ready to order. Send a customer to user-friendly
sites such as Modello Designs, Engrave-A-Crete,
Royal Design Studio, Legacy Decorative Concrete
Systems, or many others where they can fi nd
artwork for approval. Confi rm the dimensions,
and the stencils are a few mouse clicks away. You
may offer them corporate logos or custom pieces of
laser-cut, computer-generated stencils. Any vector
image can be turned into a custom stencil. This
means that you can order words, images and more.
If your designs allow creativity but do not
require specifi c images or logos, off-the-shelf
stencils from craft stores or specialty sites such as
Royaldesignstudio.com or Engraveacrete.com offer
quick solutions. By purchasing a variety of popular
reusable stencils, you enable yourself to create artistic
designs without the production time of ordering
project-specifi c templates.
Reusable plastic templates — off-the-shelf or
custom — available from craft stores or online are
well-suited for use with buildable products such
as microtoppings, gel resists, metal suspensions,
acrylics, or with temporary markings for hand
engraving.
Use the stencils with rapid-dry dyes or waterbased
stains and an HVLP sprayer, and the work
will be complete as quickly as you can spray. When
using slow-drying products such as reactive stains
with stencils, the concern is bleeding or wicking
under the stencil design. To minimize the risk of
wicking, purchase quality stencils, use very light
Photos courtesy of Shellie Rigsby