How to Turn a Photo into a Stencil
3 min read
A good stencil is a high-contrast, black-and-white version of your photo with the noise stripped out. The stencil maker gives you the controls to get there in a few seconds.
1. Start with the threshold
Threshold splits the image into pure black and white. Drag it until the shapes you care about read as solid black and the background drops away.
High-contrast photos with clear subjects make the cleanest stencils. Busy or low-contrast photos need more tuning.
2. Clean it up
Raise the contrast to separate the subject from the background, and use the smoothing slider to remove speckle before thresholding.
Invert if you want white shapes on black — handy for cut-out and spray-paint stencils.
3. Try outline mode for line art
Outline mode traces the edges in the photo instead of filling shapes, producing a line drawing. It is great for coloring pages, woodburning and engraving templates.
4. Export and cut
Download as PNG or PDF. For vinyl cutters and Cricut, a high-contrast black-and-white image imports cleanly. Add a grid overlay if you plan to transfer it by hand.
Ready to try it?
Open the Photo to Stencil Maker