From an image or a word to a supported stencil
A stencil needs more than a black-and-white picture. The material inside a letter such as O must stay attached to the surrounding sheet, or that center falls out when you cut the dark ring. This tool turns text or a raster image into a two-color pattern, identifies disconnected white regions and adds optional support bridges. Use it for craft signs, paper templates and simple painted lettering. Always inspect the finished pattern and try a small sample in your chosen material before cutting a final piece.
Create the pattern and adjust its size
Choose Text and enter up to four lines, or choose Image and select a PNG, JPEG or WebP file. A short word in bold type is a useful first test. Increase the threshold to include more pixels in the black cutout, adjust contrast to separate similar tones, or invert the image when light details should become dark. Generate explicitly after changing these settings; exports stay disabled while the preview is out of date.
The total width includes the white outer frame. Height follows the source proportions automatically, so the image is never stretched to fit an arbitrary height. Bridge width is set in millimeters. Changing the total width recalculates how many pixels represent each bridge; the physical bridge width stays the same. On a very large stencil, the working resolution can still limit tiny details, so check the displayed pixel dimensions as well as the millimeter size.
Understand automatic and manual bridges
Black pixels represent areas to cut out. White pixels represent material to retain. The tool checks whether white pixels connect through their horizontal or vertical neighbors to the outside frame. Diagonal contact alone does not count as a reliable connection. Automatic bridges draw straight horizontal or vertical paths from isolated white areas toward the outside white region. They are a starting point and can cover fine features; they are not an optimized cutting route.
For example, generate the sample “OA” with automatic bridges off. The enclosed centers are reported as disconnected. Switch automatic bridges on and generate again: the white centers connect to the exterior. You can instead leave automatic bridges off, enable drawing and tap inside a white center followed by a point in the surrounding white area. Dragging works too. Each manual bridge is a white stroke, with Undo and Redo nearby. Coordinate fields provide the same action using percentages of the preview for keyboard entry.
As a second example, a transparent PNG containing a solid black disk has no detached white center. Transparent pixels remain white even when inversion is enabled. An opaque white background, however, becomes dark when inverted. These different results follow the source’s transparency, so inspect the pattern rather than assuming a background has been removed.
Print at actual size or save a raster image
PNG export uses exactly the black-and-white pixels in the preview, without editing markers. It is a raster file, not traced SVG or a machine toolpath. For a specific physical size, use the print action. Choose A4 or Letter, print at 100% or actual size, disable headers and footers, and check the printed 50 mm scale with a ruler. A PDF can be saved through the browser’s print dialog.
Large patterns are tiled with a five-millimeter overlap. Match the repeated image portions, trim the overlap as needed and join the sheets. Up to sixteen pages are supported. If more are required, reduce the total width or use a less narrow source. For example, a 400 × 300 mm pattern needs three columns and two rows on A4 with this tool’s margins and overlap. Preview size on your screen is only a viewing scale.
Keep a reusable project
A project JSON includes the settings, manual bridges and a resized copy of your image. Save it to move work between devices or keep a backup. A local browser draft also helps you resume, but private mode, storage limits and cleared site data can remove it. Replacing the image or changing the text resets manual bridges because their positions belonged to the previous source. Invalid files and a canceled file picker preserve the current valid image.
Does zero disconnected islands mean it is ready to cut?
No. It only describes pixel connectivity at the working resolution. Thin necks, fragile material, blade width and cutting technique still matter. Physical cutting and material strength have not been tested.
Which files and fonts are supported?
PNG, JPEG and WebP up to 12 MB and 24 megapixels are accepted. Sources are reduced to a 1,200-pixel maximum side before framing. Text uses bold system fonts on your device; font files are not bundled or exported. Letter shapes can differ between devices.
Can I use someone else’s photo or logo?
Use images you own or have permission to reproduce. The tool does not grant rights to a photo, logo or typeface. User files stay in this browser during processing, and saved projects contain a copy of the image.
Why did automatic bridging stop on a photo?
Automatic processing is limited to 2,000 disconnected white islands. Detailed photos and noise can create far more. Adjust threshold or contrast, use a simpler source, or turn automatic bridges off and edit manually. There are at most sixty manual strokes.
Can I send this directly to a cutter?
No cutter control, tattoo transfer integration or cutting-path export is provided. Download the PNG for artwork workflows or print the pattern for manual preparation.