Paper Cut Art Maker
Turn a photo or drawing into layered paper cut art: a stack of paper sheets where each sheet has more cut away than the one below, so the tones of the picture show as layers of colour and shadow. Choose 2 to 8 layers. Layer 1 is the whole back sheet; each next layer keeps only the darker parts of the picture (or the lighter parts, if you put those on top), so every layer’s paper sits inside the paper of the layer below. Every layer comes out as one piece joined to a frame: small loose bits are either joined with bridges of the width you set or left out and counted. Parts thinner than your narrowest-paper width are trimmed, so there are no slivers too thin to cut. Download one SVG of cut lines per layer for a cutting machine or laser, a real-size PDF with a page per layer (mirrored if you cut from the back), and a stacked preview with a colour for each layer. Nothing is uploaded.
100% private — everything runs in your browser. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Layer 1 is the back sheet; every next layer sits on top and is smaller. Print the PDF at 100% (Actual size), or send each layer SVG to a cutting machine.
Picture
Layers
Cutting
Size
Page
Runs in your browser with our own code: your picture is read on this device and nothing is uploaded or saved. The sample pictures are drawn by our code. You may use what you make here, including commercially, with no credit needed.
How to make layered paper cut art from a photo
- Add your photo or drawing, or pick one of our sample pictures.
- Choose the number of layers and whether the dark or the light parts go on top.
- Set the narrowest paper, the frame and how loose pieces are handled.
- Pick a colour set and check the stacked preview and each layer.
- Download the SVG cut files or the PDF, cut each layer and stack them from layer 1 up, with spacers between if you like.
What you can use it for
- Layered shadow box art from your own photos
- Cutting machine and laser projects
- Hand-cut paper art with a craft knife
- Gifts, cards and framed pictures
- Art class layering and tone exercises
- Light box and window pictures
Layers and tones (5 layers, dark parts on top)
| Layer | Paper kept | Shows |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | the whole sheet (back) | every part |
| 2 | darkness 20% and darker | darker parts |
| 3 | darkness 40% and darker | darker parts |
| 4 | darkness 60% and darker | darker parts |
| 5 | darkness 80% and darker | only the darkest parts (top) |
Darkness 0% is white and 100% is black. With another number of layers the steps are spread the same way; with the light parts on top, lightness takes the place of darkness.
Our 5 sample pictures as 5-layer paper cuts
| Sample (drawn by our code) | Bridges added | Total cut length | Loose pieces left out instead | Their area | Every layer one piece |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hills under a full moon | 0 | 4.93 m | 0 | 0 mm² | yes |
| Tree on a hill | 1 | 6.451 m | 2 | 3587 mm² | yes |
| Flower head | 7 | 8.598 m | 10 | 16641 mm² | yes |
| Moon over the sea | 3 | 5.961 m | 3 | 1122 mm² | yes |
| Tone ramp (light to dark) | 0 | 4.825 m | 0 | 0 mm² | yes |
180 mm wide, 0.4 mm cutting grid, 1.5 mm narrowest paper, 2 mm bridges, 5 mm frame. Your own picture shows its own counts in the info line and on each layer page.
The 8 colour sets (5 layers, back to top)
| Colour set | Layer colours |
|---|---|
| Dusk (cream to navy) | #fbf3e4, #ecb597, #b46f83, #534e7e, #1b2240 |
| Ocean (foam to deep blue) | #eef8f7, #92d1d4, #3d98b7, #205a85, #0c2340 |
| Forest (mint to pine) | #f1f6e9, #b5d599, #6aa15d, #346943, #123326 |
| Sunset (gold to plum) | #fff3c4, #fcc563, #ee8955, #b34a4a, #4a1942 |
| Berry (blush to wine) | #fdeef2, #f2acc4, #cf608d, #8c2d60, #3d0f2c |
| Autumn (straw to bark) | #faf0d7, #eaba77, #c67439, #883e23, #3b1f14 |
| Greys (white to black) | #ffffff, #cccccc, #8d8d8d, #4d4d4d, #111111 |
| Mint and teal | #f4fbf6, #bbe8d4, #6fc5ac, #338c7f, #0f4c4a |
The colours are a suggestion for buying or choosing paper; the cut files are the same for every colour set.
Cutting grid
| Grid | Cells for 180 × 135 mm | Round patch for 1.5 mm narrowest paper |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mm | 720 × 540 | 9 cells |
| 0.4 mm | 450 × 338 | 5 cells |
| 0.5 mm | 360 × 270 | 5 cells |
| 0.8 mm | 225 × 169 | 5 cells |
The picture is traced on a grid of small square cells; a finer grid follows the picture more closely but takes longer. The round patch is a little wider than the narrowest paper you set, so the corners of the traced line still leave that width.
Which tool to use
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| Stacked layers of paper from a photo, one piece each, cut files per layer | Paper Cut Art Maker (this page) |
| One flat cut-out shape of the subject | Silhouette Maker |
| Flat colour areas or colour separations of a photo | Posterize Image |
| Black line art for tracing onto skin or paper | Tattoo Stencil Maker |
| A DXF of your SVG cut file | SVG to DXF |
Also handy: the Silhouette Maker for a single cut-out, Posterize Image for flat colour levels, and SVG to DXF if your cutter needs DXF.
More free tools
Turning photos into craft and art?
Image tools that run privately in your browser, with no sign-up and no watermark.
Frequently asked questions
What is layered paper cut art?
A picture built from several sheets of paper stacked on top of each other, each with shapes cut out. Where more sheets are left, the colour of the top sheets shows; where they are cut away, you see the sheets below. The tool turns the tones of your picture into those sheets.
Why does each layer sit inside the one below?
So that every piece rests on paper. Each next layer keeps only the darker parts of the picture (or only the lighter ones), and the trimming and bridges never break that rule; our tests check that every layer’s paper lies inside the layer below it.
What are bridges?
Thin strips of paper that join a loose piece (an island, like the middle of a circle) to the rest of the layer, so the layer stays one piece and nothing falls out when you cut it. Bridges are at least the width you set and are added to that layer and every layer below it. You can also choose to leave loose pieces out; the tool tells you how many and how much area.
What does narrowest paper mean?
The tool trims away any part of a layer that a round patch of that width cannot reach while staying on paper, so there are no thin slivers or points that would tear. Our tests check that trimming again changes nothing.
How is the frame used?
Every layer has the same frame around the edge, at least as wide as the narrowest paper. It holds each layer together and lines the layers up when you stack them.
Which file do I use for a cutting machine?
The SVG cut files: one per layer, closed cut lines only, at real size in millimetres. The same picture and settings always give the same files. For cutting by hand, print the PDF: each layer page shows the paper to keep in grey; tick Mirror to print on the back of coloured paper.
How do I stack the layers?
Start with layer 1, the full back sheet, then glue layer 2 on top, and so on up to the top layer. Foam pads or card strips between layers add depth and shadows; the preview shows the shadows a small gap gives.
Is it free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit.
Is my picture uploaded?
No. Your picture is read by your browser on your own device and drawn on a canvas there; nothing is sent anywhere and nothing is stored after you close the tab.