Turn a Photo into a Stencil! by Weissensteinburg
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Using just Photoshop, we're going to turn an ordinary photograph into a stencil worthy image in just a few minutes!

I was bored today and decided I wanted to make a stencil. Looking through my old profile pictures on facebook, I found a particular one that I thought might make a good stencil. After playing around for a bit, I discovered this process for turning it into a two-color image on photoshop.

Keep in mind, you can also use this for silk screening, or any other process that requires a smooth edged image.
 
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Step 1: Rough Shapes

2.jpg
3.jpg
4.jpg
First we make it into a rough two-tone shape:

  • Load the image
  • Image>Adjustments>Posterize - You don't want it to look too different. I posterized it to 10 levels.
  • Image>Adjustments>Threshold - Slide the bar around until you see something that looks like a stencil. You have to keep it as simple as possible, for ease of cutting it out, and also watch out for islands that wouldn't be connected to the main stencil i.e. floating blobs. I set my threshold level to 100.
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firehawk23 says: Aug 29, 2012. 2:05 AM
Just an addition to this if in the last step you do smart blur>edge only and play around with the radius and threshold levels. It finds the edge for you. do ctrl+i to invert it and you have a cleaner stencil that won't waste as much ink when printing.
mjagitsch says: Sep 13, 2011. 11:16 AM
I tried using Photoshop and had better luck just tracing a photo with a Sharpie. Maybe if I could figure photoshop out, it would better for me.
burnerjack01 says: Jun 26, 2011. 4:38 AM
Did you know that "Coyote" sell a program specificaly for this? Various levels of
shading, edge manipulation and island handling? Scan and run. Transfer to final medium and bingo. Done. I've used it for scrollsaw work and it does work.
Discojess says: Nov 26, 2008. 7:19 PM
How did you handle the forehead island? Looks good!
cornflaker says: Dec 7, 2008. 10:24 PM
lol I thought you were saying that he had a massive forehead when i first read that
jbeyssac says: Jun 6, 2011. 6:15 PM
Same here, haha.
Discojess says: Nov 26, 2008. 7:20 PM
nevermind, I read the linked instructable :D
Weissensteinburg (author) says: Nov 26, 2008. 9:30 PM
While the linked instructable is an option, I opted to just place the forehead in manually after spraying it with adhesive.
water rat says: Sep 18, 2011. 5:14 PM
Regarding islands:
If you're silk screening the stencil, you can make a small loop with blue painters tape and gently tape it in place. After your first pull it will adhere to the screen & last as long as the rest of the stencil. Freezer paper works well for most short run water based projects :)

TYSM for the very basic & practical introduction to stenciling!
Mr.Phil says: Feb 3, 2011. 4:53 PM
Very Good technique for creating scroll saw portraits as well.
joel383 says: Jan 31, 2011. 1:52 AM
lines are a bit thin but I think it will work.
stencil.jpg
Gage987 says: Nov 17, 2009. 6:01 PM
a shirt of your face?  WHY?!
Foaly7 says: Jan 24, 2011. 7:36 PM
Why not?
superMacaroni says: Nov 16, 2010. 6:24 AM
You could use the pen tool instead. OH YEAH VECTORS!
mee-mee says: Oct 8, 2010. 11:57 AM
these are mine...yeah I love cookie monster, and Edward cullen also...
I did these with photo studio months ago...but didn't find you 'ible
cookie-monster-cupcake.jpgstencil-edward-cullen-twilight.jpg
MrL33TPenguin says: May 2, 2010. 2:40 AM
These are mine :D
DSCN1792.JPGDSCN1785.JPGDSCN1783.JPG
M4industries says: Dec 8, 2009. 5:56 PM
 here are mine
IMG_0023.JPGIMG_0020.JPG
Weissensteinburg (author) says: Dec 8, 2009. 6:30 PM
They turned out pretty well!
Hollabaloo says: Jul 20, 2009. 8:53 AM
This is awesome, and much better than most similar tutorials! Except.... My photoshop (elements 4.0) doesn't have the image>adjustments option. Is there an alternative solution? Or, failing that, would anyone be willing to do this process on an image for me?
Weissensteinburg (author) says: Jul 20, 2009. 9:53 AM
Try Filter>Adjustments
M4industries says: Dec 8, 2009. 5:54 PM
 Or just keep photocopying an image until it is just a stencil. I got that tip from photojojo
z3ro_infinite says: Nov 26, 2008. 8:09 PM
hey any one kno where i can buy the spray thing tho?
Weissensteinburg (author) says: Nov 26, 2008. 9:31 PM
The paint? I bought mine from Joann's. Any craft store should carry something like it.
LILhazY says: Jun 13, 2009. 3:08 AM
did u use abdobe photoshop
INSTRUCTUBAL says: Jan 26, 2009. 5:53 PM
does michaels have it?
Weissensteinburg (author) says: Jan 26, 2009. 6:25 PM
I got mine from Joann's, but i'm sure Michael's would as well. Just to be safe, I'd call them before hand and make sure.
volquete says: Jun 11, 2009. 1:23 PM
nice
mg0930mg says: Dec 27, 2008. 12:34 AM
Mine doesn't. Our craft stores suck!!!!!
flesh.bmp
Bright Shadow says: Jan 28, 2009. 10:30 PM
aahhh, I love that part...
cornflaker says: Jan 15, 2009. 3:26 AM
Haha gotta love Monty Python XD
mg0930mg says: Jan 15, 2009. 12:14 PM
Doersn't everyone? Our math teacher last year, could talk to us for at least two hours, about python.
volquete says: Jun 11, 2009. 1:24 PM
my teacher loves it and played there sketches in class
cornflaker says: Jan 16, 2009. 4:17 AM
Haha sounds like an awesome teacher
mg0930mg says: Jan 16, 2009. 4:58 PM
She was!
M4industries says: Dec 11, 2009. 5:57 PM
 My friends did this sketch for drama last year. There werent any missing limbs, but their dialogue was enough to make everyone laugh.
Weissensteinburg (author) says: Dec 27, 2008. 10:30 AM
They don't have any fabric paints?
mg0930mg says: Dec 27, 2008. 10:25 PM
Nope. Going to philly next weekend. Hopefully they have something. My test today didn't work well.
gir-.- says: Jun 7, 2009. 1:44 PM
what software did you use?
Weissensteinburg (author) says: Jun 7, 2009. 8:11 PM
Photoshop
robbs says: Apr 28, 2009. 11:42 PM
New to the blog. What is paint net?
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