Letter Stencils
Print letter and number stencils at the exact size you need. Type a word, a name or a house number, or print the whole alphabet: capitals, lower case and the numbers 0 to 9. Choose one of our 3 stencil alphabets (Army (square cut), Rounded, Heavy), set the letter height in inches or centimetres and pick US Letter or A4. Every letter has proper stencil bridges: the middles of A, B, D, O, P, Q, R, 0, 4, 6, 8 and 9 stay joined to the sheet, so nothing falls out when you cut. Each stencil gets a dashed cut box with a margin around it. Download a PDF to print, 300 DPI PNGs, or an SVG of the cut lines for a cutting machine. Nothing is uploaded.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Print at 100% (Actual size) on card stock or stencil film. Cut out the black parts with a craft knife and leave the narrow bridges: they hold the middles of letters such as O, A and 8 in place. Cut on the dashed lines to separate the stencils.
Letters
Style
Size
Runs in your browser with our own code: nothing you type is uploaded or saved. The stencil alphabets are our own drawings, not a font. You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed.
How to print and cut letter stencils
- Choose My own word and type it, or pick a letter set (A to Z, a to z, numbers or everything).
- Pick a stencil alphabet (Army (square cut), Rounded, Heavy) and solid or outline.
- Set the letter height in inches or cm, the paper and the page direction. The page tells you the largest height that fits.
- Download the PDF and print at 100% (Actual size) on card stock or stencil film.
- Cut out the black parts with a craft knife on a cutting mat and keep the bridges. Or download the SVG cut lines for a cutting machine.
What you can use it for
- House numbers, mailbox numbers and kerb numbers
- Signs for a garage, shed, workshop or event
- Lettering on crates, boxes, bags and T-shirts
- Wall words, wood signs and painted furniture
- Classroom displays and posters
- Numbering storage bins, parking spaces and sports kit
The 3 stencil alphabets
| Alphabet | Pen | Stroke (share of height) | Bridge width | Bridges in A–Z, a–z, 0–9 | Capitals and numbers with bridges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army (square cut) | Square pen (flat ends) | 21% | 6% | 38 | ABDOPQR04689 |
| Rounded | Round pen (soft ends) | 20% | 6% | 38 | ABDOPQR04689 |
| Heavy | Square pen (flat ends) | 24% | 6% | 39 | ABDOPQR04689 |
All three are our own drawings, not a font: each letter is a centre line drawn with a square or round pen, cut to the capital height. Our tests redraw every finished letter from its outline and check that the stencil sheet around it is one piece, with no island anywhere.
Which letters need bridges (Army style)
| Character | Islands before bridging | Bridges | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 1 | 1 | top / bottom |
| B | 2 | 3 | top / bottom |
| D | 1 | 2 | top / bottom |
| O | 1 | 2 | top / bottom |
| P | 1 | 2 | top / bottom |
| Q | 1 | 2 | top / bottom |
| R | 1 | 2 | top / bottom |
| 0 | 1 | 2 | top / bottom |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | top / bottom |
| 6 | 1 | 1 | top / bottom |
| 8 | 2 | 3 | top / bottom |
| 9 | 1 | 1 | top / bottom |
An island is a part of the stencil sheet completely surrounded by cut-out letter. Letters without closed shapes, such as E, L or 7, need no bridges.
Sizes on US Letter
| Letter height | A to Z capitals | Cut margin around each stencil |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 in (12.7 mm) | up to 26 per page, 1 page | 6.0 mm |
| 1 in (25.4 mm) | up to 26 per page, 1 page | 6.0 mm |
| 2 in (50.8 mm) | up to 8 per page, 4 pages | 9.1 mm |
| 3 in (76.2 mm) | up to 4 per page, 9 pages | 13.7 mm |
| 4 in (101.6 mm) | up to 2 per page, 25 pages | 18.3 mm |
| Paper | Largest one-per-page height, portrait | Landscape |
|---|---|---|
| US Letter | 4.875 in | 5.125 in |
| A4 | 4.75 in | 4.875 in |
Every page has a 1 in (or 2 cm) check square at the bottom: measure it after printing to be sure the printer did not scale the page. To turn a photo or logo into a stencil, use the Stencil Maker; for one big letter over several sheets, the Poster Tiler.
What prints
| Download | What is in it |
|---|---|
| Every page at real size: letters (solid or outline), dashed cut boxes, check square and height note | |
| PNG 300 DPI | One picture per page (a ZIP when there are several) |
| SVG cut lines | The letters of the page on screen as closed outlines only, at real size, for a cutting machine |
Which tool to use
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| Letter or number stencils at a set height | Letter Stencils (this page) |
| A stencil from a photo or logo | Stencil Maker |
| A tattoo transfer outline | Tattoo Stencil Maker |
| A sign with words and a border | Sign Maker |
Also handy: the Tattoo Stencil Maker, the Sign Maker and the SVG Editor for tidying cut files.
More free tools
Stencils, signs and lettering?
Lettering and print tools that run privately in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Frequently asked questions
What is a letter stencil?
A sheet with letter shapes cut out of it. You lay it on a surface and paint, spray or pencil through the holes. Because the holes are the letters, the inner parts of letters such as O or A need small bridges to stay attached to the sheet.
What are stencil bridges?
Thin strips of sheet left across a letter. Without them the middle of an O, A, B, D, P, Q, R, 0, 4, 6, 8 or 9 is an island and drops out when you cut. Our alphabets add the bridges for you: each middle is joined to the outside by a straight bridge, usually at the top and bottom.
How big can the letters be?
One capital per page fits up to 4.875 in on US Letter portrait (5.125 in landscape) and 4.75 in on A4 portrait, with the cut margin. The page shows the largest height that fits when you go over. For bigger letters, print the SVG at size on a large-format printer or a cutting machine.
How is the letter height measured?
From the top to the bottom of a capital letter (cap height), the way sign and stencil sizes are usually given. Numbers are the same height. Lower case letters with tails, such as g and y, go below that line. Our tests measure every capital in the PDF to within 0.2 mm.
What should I make stencils from?
Card stock (about 200 to 300 g/m²) is fine for a few uses. For many uses or for spray paint, trace or print onto clear polyester stencil film or a manila folder. Cut on a self-healing mat with a sharp craft knife and change the blade often.
How do I paint with a letter stencil?
Tape the stencil down flat, load a stencil brush or sponge with very little paint and dab straight down, working from the edges in. Light coats stop paint creeping under the edges. Lift the stencil straight up while the paint is wet, then touch up the bridge gaps by hand if you want solid letters.
Can I use it with a cutting machine?
Yes. Download the SVG cut lines: every letter is one closed outline at real size, with no text or fills, ready to import. Check the size after import, as some programs change it.
Which characters are included?
A to Z, a to z, 0 to 9 and . , ! ? – ’ & :. Accented letters are not included yet; the page names any character it cannot draw.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The stencils are drawn by JavaScript in your browser. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved when you close the page.