Type or load the design
Stencil Text Generator shapes Arabic, Urdu, Hindi and English text; Stencil Logo Generator takes an SVG, DXF, CMX or traced image. Letter Island Detector shows what needs bridging before you commit.
Stencils · 8 tools
Stencils with bridges built in
Automatic bridges so counters and islands never fall out, strength checks for thin bridges, and previews of the painted result.
Cut the letter O out of a sheet and the middle falls on the floor. Every enclosed region of a letter or a logo, the counter of an A, the loop of a ه, the eye of a ठ, is an island that a stencil has to hold in place with bridges: strips of material left uncut between the island and the rest of the sheet. Stencil fonts avoid islands by design; ordinary calligraphy and logos are full of them.
These tools find every island automatically, add bridges of the width and direction you choose, and warn when a bridge is too thin to survive weeding and painting. The result is a flattened cutting file with the bridges in the geometry, so there is no manual editing and no surprise when the sheet lifts off the mat.
Try it here
Stencil Maker
Bridges added automatically so every island stays attached.
How a stencils job runs
Set bridge width and direction
Automatic Stencil Bridge Generator picks the shortest route from each island to the outside. Choose vertical or horizontal for a consistent look on signage, or place bridges by hand with the manual tool.
Check strength
Stencil Strength Checker flags bridges under 2 mm and, on stencils wider than 400 mm, under 4 mm. Thin bridges tear during weeding and lift under a roller.
Preview and cut
Stencil Preview paints the design through the stencil so you can see how bridges read. Export SVG for laser-cut mylar or DXF for a plotter cutting stencil vinyl.
All stencils tools
8 tools · Automatic bridges so islands never fall out.Stencil MakerBridges added automatically so every island stays attached.Automatic Stencil Bridge GeneratorAuto bridges on any SVG.Manual Stencil Bridge ToolChoose bridge direction and width per design.Letter Island DetectorHighlights every enclosed island that would fall out.Stencil Text GeneratorTyped text with stencil bridges.Stencil Logo GeneratorLogos made stencil-safe.Stencil PreviewSee the cut stencil as it will look on the sheet.Stencil Strength CheckerFlags bridges that are too thin to survive.
On the machine
Bridge width by material
3 mm suits 190 to 250 micron mylar and card; 4 to 5 mm for flexible stencil film and anything sprayed at a distance; 6 mm and up for road and floor stencils in polypropylene. Wider bridges are also easier to fill in afterwards.
Paint and bridges
Bridges leave unpainted gaps. Spray paint at a shallow angle bleeds under bridges more than a roller or dabber; keep bridges short and rounded so touch-up with a brush is quick.
Reusable stencils
For repeated use, the whole design should be enclosed in a frame of at least 30 mm so the stencil stays flat, and bridges should connect to the frame rather than to neighbouring letters where possible.
Right-to-left scripts
Arabic and Urdu islands are often inside the joined body of a word; the automatic generator routes bridges through the thinnest part of the surrounding stroke to keep the calligraphy readable.
What usually goes wrong
- Using a stencil font and assuming there are no islands: many stencil faces still enclose regions in the numerals and punctuation.
- Bridges that meet a stroke at a hairline. The strength checker flags them; move them with the manual tool.
- Cutting the stencil from vinyl and weeding it as if it were a sticker. For a stencil the letters are the waste; the surrounding sheet is the product.
- No frame around the design. A frameless stencil curls at the edges and paints a ghost line.
- Painting a large stencil with one heavy coat. Two light coats bleed less under the bridges.
Common questions
Automatic or manual bridges?
Automatic for text and most logos; it is consistent and fast. Manual when a bridge would land on a face or a fine detail, or when you want bridges aligned to the grain of a wooden stencil.
Why does the checker complain about a bridge that looks fine?
It measures the narrowest point, which is often at the join with the surrounding stroke rather than the middle of the bridge. Widen the bridge or thicken the stroke with the outline tool.
Can I make an Islamic calligraphy stencil?
Yes. The text generator shapes the phrase correctly, the island detector finds every enclosed loop, and bridges are routed to keep the script readable. Use a bold Naskh or Kufi face; Nastaliq is too fine for most stencil work.
What material for a mosque wall stencil?
250 micron mylar for a single use, 0.5 mm polypropylene for repeated use. Cut on a laser with the DXF export, or on a plotter from stencil vinyl for anything under 600 mm.