The stencil (2) is a self-supporting fibrous material with the bottom coated with a strong impact adhesive (2a). It is applied to a lower support layer (1) which is coated with a release agent, e.g. a wax. The top of the stencil has a release coating and is covered with an easily removable protective sheet (3). The stencil is applied to the surface after the bottom layer is removed. The top layer is removed and paint is applied. The stencil is removed when the paint is dry. The stencil is prepared by computer-controlled milling which removes the unwanted areas plus the underlying adhesive. The stencil and the protective layers are made of fibre-reinforced paper with suitable coatings for the release layers and for the adhesive layers.
