Photo to Stencil Generator
Turn any picture into a stencil. Tune the threshold and contrast while you watch, clean up the specks, see which pieces would fall out, then download a PNG to print or an SVG to cut. Everything happens in your browser.
Drop a photo here
JPG, PNG or WebP. You can also paste an image. Nothing is uploaded.
Cutting on a laser, CNC or plasma table that wants DXF? Download the PNG and turn it into a DXF with the free PNG to DXF converter.
- Free
- No sign-up
- No ads
- Runs in your browser, nothing is uploaded
How to turn a picture into a stencil
Open a photo
Drop it in, choose it, or paste it. The stencil generator picks a starting threshold for you, so you see a result right away.
Tune it
Move the threshold until the shape reads clearly. Add contrast for flat photos, smoothing for rounder cuts, and “Remove specks” to clear dust and noise.
Check and download
Red areas would fall out when cut. Fix them, then download a PNG to print or an SVG with traced shapes for Cricut, Silhouette or a laser.
PNG or SVG: which stencil file do you need?
| File | What it is | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | The black-and-white image, exactly as in the preview. | Printing on paper and cutting with a craft knife, painting, tracing onto wood or a wall |
| SVG | The black areas traced into filled vector shapes, with holes kept as holes. 3-tone stencils get one shape group per layer. | Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Studio, Glowforge, LightBurn, Inkscape |
| DXF | Not made here. Convert the PNG with the PNG to DXF converter, which sets the real size in millimeters. | Laser and CNC software that only takes DXF |
Tips for a clean stencil
- Start with the right photo. Strong side light and a plain background beat any slider. A face lit evenly from the front has no shadows to cut.
- Crop tight first. Everything in the frame becomes part of the stencil, so remove the background before you start if you can.
- Fix floating pieces. The middle of an O, an eye or a ring of hair falls out when you cut. Shrink it with the threshold, fill it with “Remove specks”, or draw a thin bridge across it before cutting.
- Bigger is easier. Fine detail that looks great on screen is hard to cut by hand. Raise “Smoothing” for a stencil you'll cut with a knife.
FAQ
How do I turn a picture into a stencil?
Open the photo on this page. It becomes black and white straight away; move the threshold until the face or shape reads clearly, smooth out noise, then download a PNG to print and cut by hand, or an SVG for a cutting machine.
What photos make good stencils?
A clear subject with strong light from one side and a plain background. Faces and pets work well when the shadows are clear. Busy backgrounds and flat, evenly lit photos turn into noise; crop or pick another photo.
Can I use the SVG with Cricut, Silhouette or a laser cutter?
Yes. The SVG has filled black shapes with holes kept as holes. Upload it to Cricut Design Space or Silhouette Studio, or open it in LightBurn or Inkscape. Set the width in inches before downloading so it imports at the right size.
What are the red areas in the preview?
They are floating pieces: white areas completely surrounded by black. If you cut out the black, these pieces have nothing holding them and fall out, like the middle of a letter O. Remove them, connect them with a bridge, or cut them as a separate piece.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The photo is processed by JavaScript in your browser, and the PNG and SVG are created on your device.
What is a 3-tone stencil?
It splits the photo into dark, mid-tone and light. You cut one stencil for the darks and one for the mid-tones and spray them in layers, which keeps more detail than a single black-and-white layer.