You're a business that has a lot of moving parts. Sometimes those parts get misplaced or stolen, so it's good to have something to identify whether a piece of equipment belongs to you. This is where Stencils For Marking Equipment can help.
What sort of equipment needs a marking?
Pretty much anything that you or your business considers their property should be marked in some way. Ideally, with something indelible, that can't be removed by someone. It also needs to be obvious enough that anyone can see at a glance as to who owns it. So what sort of equipment needs marking? Things like toolboxes, safety equipment like plastic bollards, containers that might need to be left at other locations, tools and machinery. If there's something that you can't really afford to lose, then it should be marked.
What stencils are recommended for equipment marking?
At Sticker Stop, we use two types of stencil material. We use mylar plastic which is 7.5mil in thickness (roughly 2 copy pages thick) that is durable, flexible and solvent-proof. You can use solvent based paints and cleaners with these stencils without issue. We also use SprayMask vinyl to make sticker stencils. These are single-use vinyl stickers that you can apply to a surface and spray over. They both have their uses and their pros and cons, so let's take a look at these now.
Pros and Cons of Plastic Stencils
Pros of Plastic Stencils:
- Durable: They are able to be used indefinitely if cared for properly
- Flexible: You can bend them over backwards without breaking them, so they can be wrapped around objects easily
- Solvent-proof: You can use them with solvent paint and cleaners
Cons of Plastic Stencils
- Underspray: Unless you use a temporary glue, you will probably get underspray
- Cost: The initial cost is higher but if you are planning on using them often, this the cost is worth it
This plastic stencil was created so that our customer could mark some farm equipment. They first sprayed the outer circle in one colour, then used a second colour to create the wording within the inner circle.
Pros and Cons of Sticker Stencils
Pros of Sticker Stencils:
- Solvent-proof: You can use them with solvent paint and cleaners
- Removal: Sticker stencils are easy to remove and don't lift paint of leave much (if any) residue
- Cost: They cost about the same as a regular vinyl sticker of the same size
- No underspray: Since they are adhesive, they reduce the risk of underspray
Cons of Sticker Stencils:
- Single-Use: You can usually only use them once
- Application: They aren't suited to all types of surface. Smooth, clean surfaces are ideal, while rough surfaces might reject the sticker
A two-layered sticker stencil was used to get this result and made into a sign for a saloon
Which is the best stencil to use?
So, which is the best stencil to use? It's really choosing horses for courses. If you're just wanting to mark your equipment quickly and you just want something to mark your property, then a plastic stencil will do the job. You can live with a bit of underspray - that shovel isn't going into any art museum. Look after the stencil and you can use it forever.
If you're doing something arty, or on a smaller scale, or if it's a one-off project - then a sticker stencil would make the better choice. You won't get the underspray so the finish will be cleaner.
Stencil creation design
You can send us the file, logo or image that you’d like made as a stencil to sales@stickerstop.com.au and we’ll take a look at it and get back to you with a quote or some information. If you have the file available in a vector format (.AI, .EPS, .PDF) that would be ideal but we will still take a look at your raster (JPEG, BMP, GIF) images too. Note that, for us to be able to use them with our machine, it will need to be made into a vector format. If you’re not able to do this yourself, we can probably do it for you, however there is a charge ($15 minimum) involved depending on the complexity of the image.