Stencil Text Generator

Use this free stencil text generator to make lettering for paint masks, labels and cut-out panels. Choose one of three stencil fonts, set the physical size, and download SVG or DXF paths. Switch between the material that remains and the contours to cut.

SVG + DXF

Three stencil fonts

mm / inches

Local processing

Make a text stencil Open laser cutting workflow

Create your text stencil

Choose a stencil font, set the size, and check which parts of the sheet will remain after cutting.

Your text

One line, up to 80 characters. Line breaks become spaces. Check punctuation and accented letters individually.

Use uppercase letters

Stencil font

Size & spacing

Units

Text width (mm)

Margin on each side (mm)

Text width measures the visible letters. With the outer cut line enabled, overall width = text width + two margins. Changing units keeps the same physical size.

Letter spacing (em)

Include outer cut line

Turn this off to cut the letters into an existing sheet. The material preview will still show the surrounding sheet.

Inspect your stencil

Generating outlines…

Dark = material kept · light = openings

Screen preview is scaled to fit. Import the file to check the actual dimensions.

Download your stencil

SVG and DXF use the same outlines and units. Choose the cutting operation in your machine software after importing.

Inspect an exported SVG

Bridges are built into these fonts. Their width scales with the letters; this tool does not add or repair bridges. Inspect every character at your final size.

Compare three stencil fonts

All three samples use ABOPR 08, a text width of 150 mm, 10 mm margins, and 0.08 em letter spacing. Compare the bridges in the same letters. The files have been checked digitally but have not been tested on a cutting machine.

Allerta Stencil: ABOPR 08, 170 × 40.69 mm — Allerta Stencil
Export size:
170 × 40.69 mm
Letter height:
20.69 mm
Download sample SVG Sample DXF Font license

Saira Stencil One: ABOPR 08, 170 × 39.27 mm — Saira Stencil One
Export size:
170 × 39.27 mm
Letter height:
19.27 mm
Download sample SVG Sample DXF Font license

Stardos Stencil: ABOPR 08, 170 × 41.55 mm — Stardos Stencil
Export size:
170 × 41.55 mm
Letter height:
21.55 mm
Download sample SVG Sample DXF Font license

Workflow

Step-by-step workflow

Follow these steps after choosing the right output format. The goal is to catch format, scale, and handoff problems before export.

1
Enter the exact wording
Start with a short label. Uppercase is on by default. The generator accepts one line of up to 80 characters; line breaks become spaces, and missing characters are reported rather than substituted.
2
Compare the stencil fonts
Allerta, Saira and Stardos have different proportions and bridge placements. Check your actual letters, numbers and punctuation. Font names alone do not confirm that a small physical cut will hold together.
3
Set size and inspect the sheet
Enter the visible text width, margin and spacing. Inspect both material and cut-line views. Include the outer plate only if it should be cut from the sheet as part of this job.
4
Download, measure and test
Export SVG for a vector workflow or DXF for CAD/CAM. Reopen it, verify the overall dimensions and the smallest connecting areas, set the cutting operation, then test a short sample on your actual material.

Choose the construction

Does the surrounding sheet need to stay in one piece?

Use a stencil when the lettering is an opening and the material around it is the part you keep.

Use this stencil tool for

Reusable paint and spray masks
Cut-through text panels
Printable lettering templates

Choose another workflow for

Adding measured bridges to an arbitrary font or uploaded image.
Single-line pen plotting or centreline engraving.
Loose letters that will be mounted to a separate backing.

Direct answer

A stencil text generator turns words into openings in a surrounding sheet. In a stencil font, small gaps across the letter strokes keep the inner parts of A, B, O, P and R connected to that sheet. This tool preserves the gaps already drawn into Allerta Stencil, Saira Stencil One and Stardos Stencil. It does not add bridges to ordinary fonts. Set the visible text width and the margin on each side, inspect the material preview, then export actual paths rather than editable text. The result is geometry to review in your cutting software; material strength, kerf and machine settings still need a test at the final size.

Read the material preview before the cut lines

The two views answer different questions. Material view shows whether the shape you intend to keep is connected. Cut-line view shows the contours that will be exported. A thin line on screen is a boundary, not the width of the remaining bridge.

Dark areas are the sheet you keep; light letter shapes are the openings. Trace a route from each letter center to the outside material.
With the outer plate cut enabled, the file includes a rectangular perimeter. Disable it when the lettering belongs inside a larger existing panel.
A separated dot or accent can be a separate opening. Check the chosen font and exact characters instead of assuming every glyph behaves like uppercase O.

Sample settings for a 170 mm stencil

The downloadable samples above were produced by this generator with ABOPR 08, a visible text width of 150 mm, margins of 10 mm and spacing of 0.08 em. Every plate is 170 mm wide. Allerta produces a 40.69 mm plate height, Saira 39.27 mm and Stardos 41.55 mm, rounded to two decimals. Their visible letter heights are 20.69, 19.27 and 21.55 mm respectively.

The width field measures the ink bounds of the lettering, not the font em size. Plate width = text width + left margin + right margin.
The top and bottom margins are also 10 mm in this recipe. Changing the font changes the measured letter height and therefore the plate height.
Switching between mm and inches changes the unit declaration and DXF coordinates while preserving the physical design. The samples are geometry checks, not evidence of a physical cutting test.

Spacing can make a bridge smaller at a fixed width

This generator fits the whole line to the text width you enter. If you add letter spacing while keeping that width fixed, each letter becomes smaller. The font’s built-in bridge gaps shrink with it. More spacing between letters does not necessarily create a stronger stencil.

Increase text width if you need both wider letter separation and the same letter height.
Measure the narrowest remaining material at the final size in your vector or cutting software. This tool does not calculate a minimum bridge width.
If a bridge is too fine, enlarge the lettering, choose a different font, or edit the geometry in a vector editor. A screen preview cannot set a safe minimum for every material.

Choose stencil lettering, loose letters or engraving

These constructions keep different pieces of material. A paint stencil retains the surrounding sheet and the letter centers. A loose-letter sign retains the letter shapes. Engraving marks a surface instead of opening a hole. Decide which result you want before importing the file.

Use the material view for reusable paint masks and cut-through stencil panels.
For separate letters mounted to a backing, use the regular laser lettering workflow and choose the mounting method there.
In machine software, assign the intended operation explicitly. A filled SVG path is not an instruction to engrave; a DXF contour does not include power, depth or feed settings.

Before you cut the stencil

Use the exported geometry at its final physical size. A larger preview can hide a fragile connection.

Check enclosed letter centers, numbers, accents and punctuation in your actual text.
Confirm plate width equals text width plus twice the margin when the outer cut is included.
Measure the narrowest material bridge; built-in gaps are not a material-specific strength guarantee.
Check spacing so adjacent openings do not merge or leave a fragile strip between them.
Remove the outer plate contour if the stencil belongs inside an existing panel.
Reopen SVG or DXF, confirm units, assign operations and test on spare material.

Which lettering workflow fits?

Choose by the piece of material that needs to remain after the job.

Option

Use when

Watch out

Stencil font

The sheet and letter centers must remain connected around cut-out openings.

Bridge placement is fixed by the font; shrinking the text also shrinks those gaps.

Ordinary outline font

You need printed lettering, engraving, or separate letters mounted to a backing.

Enclosed centers can fall out of a cut-through sheet unless you add connections.

Custom bridge editing

The design needs a particular font or a measured bridge width and placement.

Edit actual contours in a vector/CAD tool; painting a white stripe over a letter does not remove its cutting paths.

Know what is in your file

The TextToSVG team documents the controls, supplies reproducible examples and links the format requirements below. You can inspect the exported source before using it.

Samples made with this tool: The three ABOPR 08 samples use the same font files as the live tool. Automated checks verify their dimensions and SVG/DXF units. The samples have not been tested on a cutting machine.
Outlines you can inspect: Letters are paths, with a compound path for the optional plate. SVG exports contain no editable text, embedded image, clipping path or mask. DXF uses the same contours.
Local text processing: Font parsing and export run on your device. The three font files are served from this site; generating a stencil does not send your typed text to a conversion server.
Sources and corrections: Cricut’s official import guidance and the W3C fill-rule reference support the format explanations. Font licenses are linked with the samples. Report an outline issue with the wording, font and dimensions through the contact page.

Common questions

Is this stencil text generator free?

Yes. You can type your own words, compare the three included stencil fonts and download SVG or DXF without an account. The font license for each included family is linked beside its sample.

Does this add bridges to any font?

It preserves bridges already drawn into the three included stencil fonts. It does not accept an arbitrary font and calculate new bridges, repair loose islands or set a bridge width. For that, edit the exported geometry or use a dedicated bridge-editing workflow.

Can I import the SVG into Cricut Design Space?

Cricut lists editable text and clipping paths as unsupported in SVG/DXF uploads. This SVG uses actual outlines without those items. Confirm dimensions, layers and cut operations after import; the samples do not certify every device or Design Space version.Cricut Help: unsupported SVG and DXF items

Why are my letters smaller after I increase spacing?

Text width fixes the width of the whole line, including its spaces. More spacing leaves less of that width for the letter shapes, so the letters and their bridge gaps scale down. Increase the text width as well if you want to retain their height.

What is the right bridge width for laser cutting?

It depends on the final size, material, cutting process and handling. This tool preserves the proportions in the font and does not measure the narrowest bridge. Measure the exported shape and test on the actual material rather than using a universal width from a screen preview.

Why does the SVG look filled if I only want to cut?

The fill shows the material that remains around the openings. The cutting geometry is the boundary of that compound path. Choose the cutting operation in your machine software, or inspect the same boundaries in the cut-line preview. DXF contains contour geometry without SVG fill styling.

Can I use Chinese text or my own font?

This page offers three curated Latin stencil families. If a character is missing, export is blocked and the character is listed. Use the main generator for other fonts and scripts; that workflow will not automatically add stencil bridges.

Technical references

By the TextToSVG team · Updated Oct 30, 2026. This guide describes the converter above; the references explain the underlying font and SVG formats.

Report an output issue · Use the Google Fonts text generator

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