While it is possible to use the solder paste layer gerber file as the basis for a stencil with a standard thickness, the result will be acceptable, at best, and at worst, completely unusable. However, spending time to refine and improve the basic solder paste design, as well as choosing the thickness and material, will result in a stencil that will consistently provide successful results.
When designing stencil layouts, be careful to specify the solder mask thickness on the PCB fabrication drawings because the stencil has to print down below the mask to contact the pads. If the solder mask is too thick, the stencil will have contact problems.
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