Method$$$
Laser-Cut Stencil
A laser ablates apertures directly into a stainless-steel foil — the fast, precise default for almost all SMT.
The foil that turns solder paste into clean, repeatable deposits. Pick the right type, dial in the thickness, and check that your apertures will actually release — built for SMT and process engineers.
Answer four questions. We'll suggest a stencil type, thickness, format, and finish you can take straight to a quote — then verify the apertures below.
Pick the smallest component or tightest pitch you place.
These aren't ten separate products — they're choices on five axes. A single stencil can be laser-cut (method), framed (format), and nano-coated (finish) all at once.
A laser ablates apertures directly into a stainless-steel foil — the fast, precise default for almost all SMT.
Nickel is grown around a patterned mandrel (an additive process), producing exceptionally smooth aperture walls.
Apertures are etched from both sides through a mask. A legacy method, still useful for coarse, large openings.
Separate foils of different thickness are joined into zones, so one stencil can deposit very different paste volumes.
Localized step-up or step-down regions are etched into a single foil to vary deposit height across the board.
The foil is bonded with mesh into a rigid aluminium frame, holding steady, repeatable tension on the printer.
Just the foil (often with a border tab), mounted in a reusable tensioning system. Cheaper and easy to store.
A quick-turn frameless laser foil for a handful of boards — the workhorse of first builds and R&D.
A hydrophobic nano-coating on the walls and underside. Paste releases cleaner, with less bridging and bleed.
An electrochemical smoothing pass on laser-cut walls — a low-cost way to lift release on a standard foil.
Thickness only works if each aperture clears the IPC-7525 area-ratio rule. Enter an aperture and a foil thickness — the cross-section and the numbers update live.
A starting point by finest feature. The thinner the foil, the smaller the deposit — and the easier small apertures release.
| Thickness | Microns | Suits down to | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 mil | 50 µm | 01005, micro-BGA ≤ 0.3 mm pitch | Ultra-thin specialist foil; pairs well with electroforming. |
| 3.0 mil | 75–80 µm | 0201, 0.4 mm pitch QFN / QFP | Fine-pitch general use. |
| 4.0 mil | 100 µm | 0402, 0.5 mm pitch BGA | Common general-purpose fine-pitch thickness. |
| 5.0 mil | 125 µm | 0603, 0.65 mm pitch | The most common all-round foil. |
| 6.0 mil | 150 µm | 0805 and larger, connectors | Bigger deposits for larger components. |
| 7–8 mil | 180–200 µm | Through-hole reflow, large thermal pads | Thick foil for pin-in-paste; often a step zone. |
Rule of thumb: 4–5 mil (100–125 µm) covers most boards. When you mix fine-pitch with large parts, a step or multi-foil stencil prints both well. Whatever you pick, confirm each aperture in the Aperture check above.
Price scales with size, aperture complexity, thickness, finish, and quantity — so the honest answer is a quote. Here's the relative ladder, cheapest to premium.
Two stencils of the same outline can differ a lot. The drivers worth knowing before you order: