I mark stencils with pounce pads while it is on the frame. It doesn't have to be that tight (I have not tightened things up) because you are rubbing the pad over the stencil like erasing a chalk board not "pouncing" it as the name implies. (Talk about mis-naming a product!!) If you are using the regular powder (as opposed to the Ultimate which requires heat or washing to remove) I recommend lightly spritzing your surface with a mist of water prior to applying. It helps the chalk to hold a little better. You will still get some bouncing of chalk but it won't all bounce away.