When a liquid drop is confined between an elastic plate and a rigid substrate, it spreads
spontaneously due to the effects of interfacial forces, eventually reaching an equilibrium shape
determined by the balance between elastic and capillary effects. We provide an analytical theory for
the static shape of the sheet and the extent of liquid spreading and show that our experiments are
quantitatively consistent with the theory. The theory is relevant for the first step of painting when a
brush is brought down on to canvas. More mundanely, it allows us to understand the stiction of
microcantilevers to wafer substrates occurring in microelectromechanical fabrication processes