I wanted a stencil of my dog for a wooden sign, and found out quickly that "photo to stencil" tools behave very differently. A plain threshold filter gives you specks and black blobs. A good tool gives you a few bold shapes, and connects the floating islands (the inside of an "O", say) so the stencil does not fall apart when you cut it.

Here are the tools I looked at, with notes from each site's own page. Everything below was checked on 2026-11-12; free tiers change often, so check the site before you rely on it.

I built one of them (Photo Pattern Maker, #6), so weigh my notes on it accordingly.

What to look for

  • Bridges. Does it connect loose islands, or leave that to you?
  • Export. SVG for Cricut and Silhouette, DXF for laser cutters, or just PNG for printing.
  • Layers. Multi-layer stencils need registration, which not every tool offers.
  • What is free. Preview only, or a file you can actually download?

1. VectorDad - Photo Stencil Maker

Part of a larger set of free converters (SVG to DXF, silhouette maker, and so on). Outputs a printable SVG stencil. The site describes it as free; good if you want one quick file and are happy to tune a threshold yourself.

2. Photo2Vector - Photo to Stencil

Free, no sign-up per the page. Upload a PNG, JPG or WEBP (up to 10 MB), move a darkness slider, download an SVG that works with Cricut, Silhouette and laser cutters. It is a simple one-step flow.

3. Free Stencil Maker (freestencilmaker.com)

Multi-layer stencils with automatic island bridging and layer previews. You can start without an account. Some features, such as tiled PDF printing for large stencils and one-click Cricut export, are marked Pro. The best fit if you want layered, multi-color spray stencils.

4. StencilVector

Upload and try it without signing up. It also covers tattoo stencils and laser-ready output, and it has pricing for downloads, so look at the pricing page before you plan around it.

5. Image Outliner

Browser-based, local processing, PNG download without sign-up. It makes outlines and edge maps more than cut-ready shapes, so it suits sticker outlines and Cricut cut lines better than carved or sprayed stencils. AI cleanup uses paid credits.

6. Photo Pattern Maker (mine)

Free stencil maker: an AI model redraws the photo as a few bold shapes and leaves the background out, then bridges are added. Exports SVG, DXF and PDF. The first stencil is free with no sign-up, then $2.99 per stencil. The same site also turns photos into cross stitch, perler bead and crochet charts, which is where it started. Shortcoming: it is a newer tool than most here, and you get one free stencil, not unlimited ones.

Which should you pick?

  • One quick SVG, no account: Photo2Vector or VectorDad.
  • Multi-layer spray stencils: Free Stencil Maker.
  • A stencil from a busy photo (fur, faces) with bridges added for you: try the AI approach in #6, or tune a threshold tool by hand.
  • Just an outline for stickers: Image Outliner.

Tip for any of them: start from a photo with one clear subject and strong contrast, and use fewer tones than you think you need. Sturdier stencils have fewer, bigger shapes.

If I missed a tool you like, tell me in the comments.