Framed vs frameless stencils: which one to order

What the frame actually does

A framed stencil is the same laser-cut foil, stretched into an aluminium frame under controlled tension and permanently bonded to it. The frame is what the printer's clamping system holds, so the foil is always positioned the same way and stays flat against the board through the print stroke. A frameless stencil is just the foil: you tension it yourself into a reusable tensioning frame if your process has one, or use it flat for hand printing on a table like our printing table.

Side by side

The practical differences, from a supplier who cuts both every day:

• Printer fit — framed drops into an automatic printer's clamps; frameless needs a tensioning frame or a manual setup.
• Print consistency — controlled, even frame tension gives repeatable paste volume across long runs; frameless tension depends on your own frame system.
• Price — frameless is the cheapest option in our list; framed adds the frame, so it costs more at the same size.
• Shipping and storage — frameless ships flat and light; framed stencils are bulkier and heavier (up to ~6.8 kg at the largest standard frame).
• Changeover — framed stencils swap in seconds on an automatic line; frameless takes longer to set up each time.

Choosing by your production

If boards run down an automatic printer, framing pays for itself from the first production run. If you are building prototypes, sampling, or printing by hand, frameless does the same cutting job for less. And if you are in between — a few hundred boards a quarter on a semi-automatic printer — the honest answer depends on whether your printer holds a tensioning frame: tell us the model and we will say which makes sense.

What both versions share

Framing is a mounting choice, not a quality tier. Both versions are cut on the same fiber laser from the same SUS304 foil, with the same ±0.01 mm aperture tolerance and the same minimum 0.07 mm opening, and both can be electropolished or nano-coated. Our frameless foil comes in four sizes and framed in sixteen, from 370 × 470 up to 400 × 1500 mm — the current list with prices is on the cost guide.

Ordering either one

Pick the type and size on the quote page and the price is visible immediately; send the Gerber and we confirm everything against the file, usually within the same working day. If you are unsure which mounting suits your printer, send us the printer model with the board details — that is usually enough to settle it.