How to use the letter stencils
- Pick what to print: the whole alphabet, lowercase letters, numbers, or type your own words.
- Set the letter height. It is the height of a capital letter, so a 4 inch "H" measures exactly 4 inches on the printout.
- Choose outline or filled. Outline prints only the cutting line and saves ink; filled shows the shapes clearly for checking.
- Print at 100% (Actual size) on card stock, then cut along the lines with a craft knife on a cutting mat.
Which size should I use?
| Letter height | Good for |
|---|---|
| 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5 cm) | Labels, jars, crates, journals, kids' crafts |
| 3 to 4 in (7.5 to 10 cm) | Wood signs, mailboxes, storage bins, T-shirts |
| 6 to 8 in (15 to 20 cm) | Wall words, porch signs, banners, garden signs |
| 12 in (30 cm) and up | Murals, parking spaces, sports fields, big outdoor signs |
Why stencil fonts have gaps
Letters like A, B, D, O, P, Q and R have a closed middle. Cut from a normal font, the middle falls out and the letter turns into a blob. Stencil fonts break those shapes with small gaps called bridges, so the whole stencil holds together. All six fonts here are designed that way and are free under the SIL Open Font License; see them side by side on the stencil fonts page.
Tips for crisp painted letters
- Draw a light pencil baseline and line the bottom of every letter up with it.
- Leave even spaces between letters: the width of a finger works for 3 to 4 inch letters.
- Use little paint and dab with a stencil brush or sponge, from the edges toward the middle.
- For wood, seal the edges first with a thin coat of the background color, so the letters do not bleed.