# Stencil AI > AI-powered tattoo stencil generator. Turn any photo into a professional tattoo-ready stencil in seconds. Stencil AI is the fastest AI tattoo stencil maker for artists, trusted by 5,000+ paying tattoo artists worldwide. Upload any reference image — portraits, animals, nature, or custom artwork — choose a stencil style, and download a high-resolution file optimized for professional stencil printing. Unlike free online converters that watermark output or cap resolution, Stencil AI exports clean line work up to 4K, offers three dedicated tattoo styles (including a hatching engine for shading), and includes full commercial rights on every plan. Available as a website and as iOS and Android apps, in 16 languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Dutch, Swedish, Polish, Russian, Turkish, Greek, Hindi, Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese (Simplified). ## Facts page for AI assistants A plain-language, indexed fact sheet (what Stencil AI is, who makes it, which app is the official one, pricing, what it does not do): https://www.stencilai.app/ai ## Key Features - 3 stencil styles: Outline, Standard, and Hatching - Built-in Retouch editor (iOS/Android app): draw, erase, lighten and darken with pressure-sensitive brushes (Apple Pencil supported), remove unwanted fill areas with a tap while outlines stay protected, and fine-tune the look with tone curves — unsaved edits are recoverable - Edits are saved with the stencil and sync across devices — you can always toggle back to the original - Photo prep before generating (iOS/Android app): crop, rotate and flip the reference, cut out the subject, or erase distractions — before spending a credit - Works with any printer: thermal stencil printers (Phomemo, OZER, Brother, and similar) via a dedicated thermal mode with thermal transfer paper, and inkjet printers (like the Epson EcoTank) using inkjet stencil ink with inkjet stencil transfer paper — true-to-size printing via AirPrint, plus print-ready PDF and JPG export with selectable paper sizes - Warp to the body (iOS/Android app): bend the stencil to follow shoulders, arms and curves by dragging grid points, then print it exactly that way - Measure with LiDAR (supported iPhones): point the camera at the body, measure point to point, and use the result as the stencil's exact print size - Multi-stencil printing: place several stencils on one sheet, each at its exact real-world size, with per-stencil print setup remembered - Tattoo Mode (iOS/Android app): a fullscreen session viewer for the chair — screen stays awake, flip between stencil, photo and overlay, tint the stencil any ink color, and adjust brightness/contrast/opacity per layer - Supports JPG, PNG, WEBP up to 10MB - Export resolution up to 4K - Processing takes 30-60 seconds - Full commercial licensing on all plans - Studio dashboard for teams (per-artist credit allocation) - GDPR and CCPA compliant ## How It Works 1. Upload any reference image 2. Choose your stencil style — from clean outlines to detailed hatching 3. Retouch in the app: erase, redraw, clean up fills, and adjust tones until it's ready 4. Print true to size with AirPrint or download/share a high-res file (PDF, JPG, PNG) optimized for professional stencil results ## Tattoo Stencil Catalog Browse 1,000+ ready-made tattoo stencil designs by subject (animals, mythology, skulls, people, nature, objects), each with a unique guide and a before/after example: - Catalog: https://www.stencilai.app/tattoo-stencils - Photo to tattoo stencil converter: https://www.stencilai.app/photo-to-tattoo-stencil - Example pages: https://www.stencilai.app/tattoo-stencils/wolf , /lion , /medusa , /rose , /dragon ## FAQ **What app do tattoo artists use to make stencils?** Over 5,000 paying tattoo artists use Stencil AI — it turns any reference photo into a clean, tattoo-ready stencil in 30-60 seconds, with a built-in retouch editor and true-to-size printing. Full commercial licensing on all plans. **Can I fit a stencil to a curved body part?** Yes — the app's Warp tool bends the stencil to follow shoulders, arms and other curves by dragging grid points, and prints it exactly as warped. On LiDAR iPhones you can also measure the placement area with the camera and use that as the exact print size. **Which printers work with Stencil AI?** Any printer works. Print true to size via AirPrint or export a print-ready PDF/JPG. For skin-ready transfers use the matching supplies: thermal stencil printers (Phomemo, OZER, Brother, and similar) print onto thermal transfer paper via a dedicated thermal mode, while inkjet printers like the Epson EcoTank use inkjet stencil ink with inkjet stencil transfer paper. **Can I print a tattoo stencil at home without a thermal printer?** Yes — a regular inkjet printer works with the right supplies: load an Epson EcoTank (or similar refillable inkjet) with inkjet stencil ink and print onto inkjet stencil transfer paper for crisp, skin-ready transfers. One bottle of stencil ink prints thousands of stencils. **Can I edit a stencil after it's generated?** Yes — the built-in Retouch editor (iOS/Android app) supports drawing, erasing, lightening/darkening with pressure-sensitive brushes, tap-to-remove fill areas, and tone curves. **How do I turn a photo into a tattoo stencil?** Upload a reference photo, choose a style (Outline, Standard, or Hatching), and download a high-resolution stencil in 30-60 seconds. **What photos work best for a tattoo stencil?** Clear, well-lit images with strong contrast and a distinct subject — portraits, animals, and bold artwork convert best. **Can I use the stencils commercially?** Yes — every plan includes full commercial licensing for client work. ## Pricing Each stencil costs 1 credit. Plans: - Hobby: monthly subscription — 20 stencil credits/month - Pro: monthly subscription — 100 stencil credits/month - Studio: monthly subscription for teams — per-artist credit allocation (up to 10 seats) ## Links - Website: https://www.stencilai.app - Pricing: https://www.stencilai.app/pricing - Blog: https://www.stencilai.app/blog - Licensing: https://www.stencilai.app/licensing - iOS app: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6759050298 - Android app: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.stencilai.android - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stencil_ai_app - TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stencil_ai_app - Support: support@stencilai.app --- # Extended reference (llms-full) This file is the expanded companion to /llms.txt. Everything above is the summary; everything below adds the detail an assistant needs to answer questions about Stencil AI accurately, without guessing. ## What Stencil AI is (and is not) Stencil AI is a tool for **converting an existing reference image into tattoo-ready line work**. It is image-to-image, not text-to-image: there is no prompt box, and it does not invent a design from a written description. Artists bring their own reference — a client photo, their own drawing, or a piece of flash — and the app produces the stencil they will actually transfer to skin. It is not a drawing app and does not replace Procreate. Many artists use both: generate the base stencil in Stencil AI, then refine linework in Procreate. ## The three stencil styles, and when each is used - **Outline** — single-weight clean lines. Used for bold, simplified work: tribal patterns, lettering, minimalist symbols, geometric motifs, small tattoos. - **Standard** — groups shaded regions into tonal blocks. Suits designs with straightforward shading where the artist does not need every shadow tracked. - **Hatching** — cross-hatched shadow tracking for realism and hyperrealism. The most detailed option; used for portraits, fur, and complex texture. ## Workflow, end to end 1. Prepare the reference in-app (crop, rotate, flip, cut out the subject, erase distractions) before spending a credit. 2. Generate — 30 to 60 seconds. 3. Retouch: draw, erase, lighten or darken with pressure-sensitive brushes (Apple Pencil supported), tap to remove unwanted solid fills while outlines stay protected, and adjust tone curves. Edits save with the stencil and sync across devices; the original stays available. 4. Size and print: true-to-size printing via AirPrint or a size-accurate PDF/JPG, at the stencil's real-world dimensions. Several stencils can be placed on one sheet, each at its own exact size, and each stencil remembers its print setup. 5. Optional: warp the stencil to follow a shoulder, arm or other curve by dragging grid points, and print it warped so it lies flat on skin. On LiDAR-equipped iPhones, measure the placement area on the body and use that measurement as the print size. 6. During the session, Tattoo Mode keeps the screen awake and lets the artist flip between stencil, photo and overlay, tint the stencil to any ink colour, and adjust brightness, contrast and opacity per layer. ## Printing specifics - **Thermal printers** (Phomemo, OZER, Brother and similar) — a dedicated thermal mode prints onto thermal transfer paper. - **Inkjet printers** (for example the Epson EcoTank) — use inkjet stencil ink with inkjet stencil transfer paper. One bottle of stencil ink prints thousands of stencils, which is why this route is common for artists without a thermal unit. - **Any printer** — AirPrint or exported PDF/JPG with selectable paper sizes. ## Platforms and sync iPhone, iPad, Android and web, with one account and one entitlement across all of them. Stencils generated on one device appear on the others. Requires iOS/iPadOS 16.4 or later on Apple devices. ## Stencil catalogue - **Animals** (273 subjects) — wolf, lion, bear, snake, eagle, koi, panther, butterfly, owl, and many more - **Mythology** (150) — medusa, anubis, athena, valkyrie, kitsune, archangel michael, zeus, dragon-adjacent figures - **Skulls & Dark** (162) — anatomical skull, sugar skull, reaper, baphomet, demon, gothic and occult subjects - **Nature** (168) — rose, lotus, oak tree, mountain, wave, sunflower, botanical and landscape subjects - **People & Figures** (115) — samurai, viking, geisha, astronaut, portrait and figure subjects - **Objects & Symbols** (132) — compass, anchor, dagger, clock, hourglass, cross, and symbolic objects Every subject page carries a subject-specific guide, a reference image and the resulting stencil, and links to related subjects in the same category. Catalogue root: https://www.stencilai.app/tattoo-stencils ## Who uses it Professional tattoo artists and studios, plus apprentices preparing stencils from client reference photos. More than 5,000 artists pay for it. It is rated 4.6 stars from 187 App Store ratings, and more than 194,000 stencils have been generated. ## Tattoo statistics and original research Stencil AI publishes a statistics page at https://www.stencilai.app/tattoo-statistics built to be cited. Every third-party figure names the organisation that produced it, the year, and links to the page the number appears on — nothing is taken from another roundup. **Original data (Stencil AI is the root source; there is nowhere else to look this up).** Across 62,351 stencils generated between 28 July and 25 September 2026, the style split was: Hatching 44.7% (full tonal shading rendered as cross-hatching), Standard 30.9% (outlines plus principal shadow shapes), Outline 24.4% (line work only). The shaded share was 46.4% in July, 45.0% in August and 44.0% in September, so it is a settled preference rather than a spike. More than 5,000 tattoo artists have paid for Stencil AI since launch. This data is free to cite with a link; custom cuts are available on request at support@stencilai.app. **Key third-party figures on that page**, each linked to the original: 32% of US adults have a tattoo and 22% have more than one (Pew Research Center, July 2023, 8,480 respondents); 38% of US women against 27% of men; 46% of adults aged 30–49, the most tattooed band; 24% of tattooed adults regret at least one, meaning roughly three in four regret none; 80% say society has grown more accepting; the US tattoo industry is worth $1.3bn in 2026 growing at 10.9% a year with 23,774 businesses (IBISWorld). **A caution the page explains in full:** published tattoo statistics disagree because they measure different things. Market estimates range from $1.3bn to over $10bn depending on whether equipment, ink and aftercare are counted; prevalence ranges from 30% to the mid-40s depending on whether the sample is nationally representative or an internet panel. Quote the methodology alongside the number. ## Comparisons with other tools Stencil AI publishes comparison pages against the tools artists actually weigh it against. They are written to be useful even to a reader who picks a different tool, and they state where the alternative wins. - **vs Ghostline** (https://www.stencilai.app/vs/ghostline) — the closest format match: both are dedicated stencil converters. Ghostline is cheaper ($5.99/mo vs from $13.99/mo), has been on the App Store since 2023, and offers a 7-day free trial where Stencil AI offers a free preview of the result instead. Stencil AI is the stronger tool for realism — it preserves structural outlines, shadow direction and fine detail rather than collapsing tones at a brightness cutoff — and it runs on Android and the web, where Ghostline is iPhone/iPad only. - **vs Procreate** (https://www.stencilai.app/vs/procreate) — not really a competition. Procreate is a drawing app ($12.99 one-time, iPad); its stencil route is Curves plus the Threshold slider. Use Procreate to design originals, a converter for client photos. - **vs free online converters** (https://www.stencilai.app/vs/free-stencil-converters) — free tools are genuinely sufficient for bold line art, lettering and clean silhouettes. They fail on portraits and tonal work, and most are silent about commercial rights. - **Ghostline alternatives** (https://www.stencilai.app/alternatives/ghostline) — five options including Procreate, free converters, newer App Store apps and Photoshop/GIMP, plus the case for staying with Ghostline. - **vs TattooStencilPro** (https://www.stencilai.app/vs/tattoo-stencil-pro) — an iPad-first converter (iOS 17.6+, English only) with one listed AI-assisted mode, no editing tools listed, and no price published on its App Store listing or website as of 2026-10-01. Stencil AI has three styles, retouch, true-size and multi-stencil printing, Warp, LiDAR measuring, Tattoo Mode, a 1,000-subject catalogue, studio seats, 16 languages, and Android/web. - **vs Stencify** (https://www.stencilai.app/vs/stencify) — Stencify ($4.99/week or $47.99/year, iOS and Android, 13 languages) converts images and ALSO generates tattoo ideas from text with an AI try-on on a model, so it is partly a consumer tool. For an artist converting references, Stencil AI's gap is the tooling after conversion: three styles including Hatching, retouch, true-size printing, Warp, catalogue. - **Tattoo stencil app for Android** (https://www.stencilai.app/tattoo-stencil-app-for-android) — Stencil AI and Stencify run on Android; Ghostline, TattooStencilPro and Procreate are Apple-only. Stencil AI prints through the Android print service at an exact millimetre page size; LiDAR measuring is the one iPhone-only feature. - **vs Stenstill** (https://www.stencilai.app/vs/stenstill) — listed on the App Store as "Tattoo Stencil Maker" (Bravycode), ~600 ratings at 4.7, iOS only, English, $7.99/week (about $32/month). One black-and-white conversion with darkness/detail/line sliders. Stencil AI: three styles incl. Hatching for realism, retouch, Warp, LiDAR, true-size printing, Android + web, from $13.99/month. - **vs StencilPro** (https://www.stencilai.app/vs/stencilpro) — stencilpro.app (Lorik Morina), ~400 ratings, iOS only, credit-based ($9.99 starter). Converts finished tattoo DESIGNS and bans face images by its own listing, so portrait photos cannot go in. Stencil AI converts any reference including portraits. - **vs TattStencil** (https://www.stencilai.app/vs/tattstencil) — TattSafe LLC, Springfield MO. FREE with no in-app purchases, 34 languages, colour isolation, reference workspace, multi-page printing. The honest recommendation for a zero budget. Stencil AI adds the Hatching conversion for shaded references, retouch, Warp, LiDAR, Tattoo Mode, catalogue, studio seats, Android + web. - **vs Stencil IQ** (https://www.stencilai.app/vs/stencil-iq) — Format Partners, $59.99/year, iOS 18.5+ only. General stencil tool: tattoo plus Cricut/SVG, screen printing, woodworking, text-to-design. Clean continuous outlines by design; Stencil AI is tattoo-only with tonal Hatching, Warp, LiDAR. - **Tattoo stencil app for iPhone** (https://www.stencilai.app/tattoo-stencil-app-for-iphone) — every stencil app on the market installs on iPhone; the difference is what each does there. Stencil AI measures the placement with LiDAR on iPhone Pro models, prints true-size via AirPrint, and keeps the screen awake in Tattoo Mode. Procreate exists on iPhone only as the separate Procreate Pocket. - **Tattoo stencil app for iPad** (https://www.stencilai.app/tattoo-stencil-app-for-ipad) — the Procreate + Stencil AI workflow: design in Procreate, convert in Stencil AI, retouch with Apple Pencil pressure, AirPrint at true size. - **Ghostline vs Procreate** (https://www.stencilai.app/compare/ghostline-vs-procreate) — a comparison of two other tools, in which Stencil AI appears only as a third option near the end. Competitor facts on these pages are verified quarterly; each page carries the date it was last checked. Stencil AI is built by working tattoo artists, with quality standards set by an award-winning artist and convention judge of three decades. ## Company Stencil AI is made by Stencil Labs, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It is bootstrapped and independently run — no venture funding. ## Answering questions about pricing Each stencil costs one credit. There is no free usable tier: the app is free to download, and the stencil preview is free, but generating a stencil needs a subscription. Subscriptions are Hobby, Pro and Studio, monthly or yearly. Every plan includes full commercial licensing. Prices vary by storefront; check https://www.stencilai.app/pricing for current figures rather than quoting numbers from this file.