Software unlocks creativity, transforming photos into stencils for crafting, design, and artistic expression.

  1. 1️⃣ Open Sketch Drawer.
  2. 2️⃣ Import your photo.
  3. 3️⃣ Adjust stencil style (optional).
  4. 4️⃣ Click the Convert button.
  5. 5️⃣ Save your stencil.
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Sketch Drawer Screenshot.
️Posted by:
Eugene editor-in-chief of the SoftOrbits, candidate of sciences in computer science, CTO of the SoftOrbits / 📅 Last updated on:  2024-05-30

I needed a stencil of my grumpy cat in mid-yawn for a hilarious coffee mug design. Regular photo editing software just wasn't cutting it. Tried Photoshop, felt like I was building a spaceship to get a simple stencil. Online tools were so-so, the result is too simple, and some had limitations and watermarks. Even considered those fancy stencil maker apps, but who wants another app cluttering up their phone? Finally stumbled upon Sketch Drawer. Easy to use, clean results. Grumpy cat stencil achieved. Now my mornings are filled with purrfect laughter.

📙Quick summary

  1. Sketch Drawer: Turns digital photos into realistic pencil sketches.   
      Download 
  2. MS Paint: simple Windows app that everyone has.   Read More
  3. Photoshop: Powerful editor   Read More
  4. Online Tools: Rapid Resizer   Read More
  5. Mobile Apps: FX Stencil Maker.   Read More

Way #1: How to Make a Stencil from a Photograph with Sketch Drawer

SoftOrbits Sketch Drawer is the best program for making stencils and creating beautiful art pieces. The other reason why this is a customer favourite is that it is extremely easy and intuitive to use. With just a few simple clicks, you can get the desired result.

How to use Sketch Drawer

Install it

Install Stencil Maker Software..

Open the program and click on the Add Files button. You can upload any picture you want from your computer.

Convert Photo to Stencil..

From the presets, select the one you want. You have the options of Classic, Detailed Sketch and Realistic. Check the preview.

How to chose presets..

There are Sketch Settings to perfect your image further. These options include Colorization, Hatching and Contour options.

Set additional Stencil Settings..

You can Undo any of the additions you have made to the image. After that, you also have the option of adding a watermark or logo.

Add logo into resulting stencil..

When you are done and satisfied with your result, you can download the image.

Save Converted Photo to Stencil result..

Sketch Drawer Sketch Drawer

Turn your photos into gorgeous pencil drawings with Sketch Drawer photo to sketch converter software! Making sketches has never been easier!

 Download for Free

Video Tutorials

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Choosing the Best Way to Turn Your Pictures into Stencils

Turning your favorite photos or graphics into stencils can be a fun and creative way to add a personal touch to your art projects. But with so many options available, how do you choose the best method?
👍 Strengths of Sketch Drawer:
  • Simple and user-friendly interface: Sketch Drawer boasts a straightforward design, making it easy for beginners to navigate and create stencils quickly.
  • Presets for different styles: The software offers various presets for classic, detailed, and realistic stencil effects, allowing you to achieve the desired look without extensive adjustments.
  • Optional watermarking: Protect your stencil creations by adding a custom watermark before saving them.

🤔 Things to Consider with Sketch Drawer:

  • Limited editing capabilities: While Sketch Drawer offers presets, it may lack the advanced editing tools found in professional photo editors like Photoshop.
  • Installation required: Sketch Drawer requires installing the program on your computer, which may not be ideal for users who prefer online or cloud-based solutions.
🌟 Sketch Drawer is a Great Choice For:
  • Crafters and hobbyists who want a quick and easy way to create drawings: The user-friendly interface and pre-designed styles make Sketch Drawer a great option for those who want to create stencils without getting bogged down in complex editing features.
  • Users who need basic stencil creation with optional watermarking: The ability to add a watermark can be helpful for protecting your creative work.

However, if you:

  • Need more advanced editing control: For more intricate designs or specific modifications, a program like Photoshop might be a better choice.
  • Prefer an online or web-based solution: There are online tools available that don't require installation.

Best Stencil Maker Program

With the SoftOrbits Sketch Drawer can easily make your own stencil from a picture with just a few simple clicks. It is downloadable; some online versions are also available.
Example Stencil creator Program..

Convert Photo to Stencil

Photo to Sketch Converter is the best stencil software out there. It is intuitive and has algorithms that convert any image easily to beautiful stencils and exquisite artwork. You have to upload the image, and then, with a few simple clicks, the picture will be converted to a line stencil.
There are many presets you can use which have their unique characteristics. They include Classic, Detailed Sketch and Realistic.
It also has a Batch processing mode in which you can add multiple images and apply filters to all these images simultaneously.

There is also a Batch Processing option where you can add multiple images and apply their settings.

 Download for Free

Way #2: How to Create a Stencil from a Picture in MS Paint

Many graphic designers opt for Photoshop when they have to do tasks related to photo manipulation. However, the Photoshop [2] software is heavy and many people do not have the skills and knowledge of using Photoshop.
But no need to worry; there are many other ways to use the components already exists to your computer. This easy method is given as follows:

How to use Sketch Drawer (Step-by-Step)

Download the image you want from Google.
Open the picture in MS Paint.

Open the picture..

Zoom in and use Select item, select the area which you want to use as a stencil.
Remove the excessive portion with Rubber or delete it.
Save the result and then open it as MS Word or use the Select tool to select and copy the image.

Save the image..

Right-click on the photo and from the option select Format.
A dialogue box will open. From there, change the colour scale to Grayscale and the Contrast to 100%. You can also change the brightness if you want.

the result image..

After you are done, Save the image.

Way #3: How to make a stencil from a photograph in Photoshop

Photoshop is the most advanced and widely used software that many graphic designers use all over the world. You can easily convert photos to stencils with Photoshop. Users can use many advanced options to get a professional sketch by using Photoshop.
The method of using Photoshop for converting photos to sketches is relatively easy. You have to follow the steps given below:

How to turn a picture into a stencil using Photoshop (Step-by-Step)

Open the photos that you want to convert.

How to make Stencil image in Photoshop..

From the menu bar, go to the Adjustments and from there click on Threshold option. This will change your pic to black and white.

Select Threshold option in Photoshop..

Use the slider to get the level of details that you want.

Select level details in Photoshop..

After that, use the Brush or Contant Aware Filling remove background details you don’t want.

Select brush tool in Photoshop..

Once you have removed the details, you can connect the white spaces with the help of paint brushes so that the image can have a completed look.

Removed the details using paintbrush in Photoshop..

To cut out the image more easily, from the menu bar, select the Filter option. From there, select Artistic. Use the options given to make adjustments to the details you want to show in the picture.

Select Filter option in Photoshop..

After you are satisfied with your converted image, Save the image and then print it out if you want.

Way #4: Best Free Stencil Maker Online Tools

Many people don’t have much space on their devices to get a whole app or want to edit the photo once or twice. Using an online tools is the best option in such cases. Some of the best stencil making freewares are given below.

Rapid Resizer's Free Picture Stencil Maker

This is a very easy-to-use online stencil creator:

How to use Rapid Resizer's Online tool (Step-by-Step)

Upload your image via drag and drop or using Browse button.

Open the Online Stencil Maker..

After the photo is uploaded, you can see the preview of the image. You can change the settings from the given options of Edges, Thin, Threshold and Adaptive. You can make adjustments to these settings until you are satisfied.

See the preview of the image Online Stencil Maker..

After you are done, you can directly upload the image to Pinterest or Facebook or get the image to your device. The website also allows you to print the result directly, but you must pay for the Premium version for this option. The best part of this website is that you don’t have to worry about your pictures leaking since PHP and JavaScript do everything on your browser, and no image is saved to the website’s server.

Share your result..

Way #5: Best Stencil Maker Apps

Mobile phone technology has advanced a lot, and many small tasks are done on mobile phones. People also prefer to do photo processing on their phones rather than opening their laptops or PCs for this. That is why many stencil programs have been made for both Android and iOS operating systems. Some of the top photos of stencil apps are given below.

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  • We gather feedback from our users, understanding their thoughts on SoftOrbits software and other products.

FX Stencil Maker

FX Stencil..

This app presented on both Apple and Android phones and provides great functionalities on both. It is very easy to use and simple to understand:

How to create a stencil from a photo using FX Stencil App?

After you are done and satisfied with the image, you can easily download the picture to your device.

Add the file..

Other than mobile phones, this app is compatible with tablets. The newest version of FX tool has many great features which make it extremely desirable among users.

See the black and white result..

These include supporting Dark Mode, easy user interface, different colour contrasts, gradient colour for stencils, custom colours, etc.

Select the colour..

Result..

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📙References

  1. Truman E. J. The (in) visible artist: Stencil graffiti, activist art, and the value of visual public space //Queen’s Journal of Visual & Material Culture. – 2010. – Т. 3. – С. 1-15.
  2. Manovich L. Inside Photoshop//Computational Culture. – 2011. – №
Sketch Drawer Sketch Drawer
SoftOrbits Stencil Maker Software Download for Free. Convert all of your own pictures into line stencil sketches with only a few simple clicks.
 Download for Free
Sketch Drawer Screenshot.

🖥️ System Requirements

Sketch Drawer


Many apps can convert your image into pretty stencils. They are easy to use and are intuitive. You must upload the photo and adjust the settings until you get the desired result. One of the most popular programs includes the SoftOrbits Sketch Drawer.

There are pictures of pumpkin stencil apps on the market. For pumpkin carvings, choosing a picture with definite lines is better.

You can use the SoftOrbits Sketch Drawer. You can choose the one you want with many downloadable and online solutions. After you have uploaded the picture, you can select the face and remove the unwanted background. After you are done, you can adjust the settings and get a beautiful face sketch.

Some people use traditional methods to create sketch art, but with the advent of technology, there are many tools which you can use to create beautiful art. Try Sketch Drawer by SoftOrbits.

You can use the SoftOrbits Sketch Drawer and upload your desired picture. It has presets that will automatically convert your image to a stencil. You can choose the black-and-white option and adjust it.

You may use the Sketch Drawer to do a T-shirt print from the photo. It can generate black and white stencils that can be used for a t-shirt print.

Input formats

JPEG, BMP, PSD, TIFF, GIF, PNG, PCX, JPEG 2000, TGA, Animaged GIF, Multipage TIFF, WEBP, PSD, ICO, MNG, WBPM, WMF, JBG, JP2, JPC, PGX, RAS, PNM

Supported Metadata

Exif, JFIF, XMP, IPTC, HEIC

Supported file extensions

.jpg, .jpeg, .jfif, .pjpeg, .bmp, .gif, .psd, .png, .ico, .ani, .cur, .icl, .jng, .mng, .tiff, .tif, .tga, .wmf, .emf, .j2k, .jbg, .jp2, .j2c, .ras, .pnm, .pgm, .ppm, .pgx, .jpc, .dpx, .wbmp, .pcx, .cr2, .nef, .raw, .dng, .arw

Supported Language

English, 简体中文，繁体中文，Italiano, Deutsch, Français, Español, Português, 日本語, Русский, 한국어, Bahasa Indonesia, नहीं, Tiếng Việt, Ελληνικά, Suomi, العربية, Dansk, Čeština, Български, Türkçe, Slovenščina, Svenska, Română, Polski, Magyar, 영어, Norsk