Skip to content
StencilCAESEN

Tribal and blackwork stencils: outline and light fills

A solid black printed as it is floods the thermal paper with carbon: it smudges on the skin and hides the lines. The usual approach is to mark the outline and flag the fill with a few marks. This tool does it for you, with the outline width and mark spacing you choose.

[ Prepare your stencil ]

or drop it here · PNG, JPG, WebP or SVG

Everything runs in your browser: the design never leaves your device.

How to use it

  1. 1Upload the design and set its width on the skin.
  2. 2In Adjust, choose what goes inside the fill (empty, lines, cross, dots or screen) by looking at each style’s preview, and the outline width.
  3. 3Print the real-size PDF or send the 1-bit PNG to the thermal printer app.

Tips

  • A 0.4–0.6 mm outline transfers well on 203 dpi thermal printers without fattening the line.
  • Leave some space between the outline and the marks: the edge reads cleanly and isn’t mistaken for fill.
  • If the design has hardly any large blacks, the panel tells you and lets you zoom into them.

Frequently asked questions

Why not print the blacks as they are?

Stencil paper transfers all the carbon from black areas: it leaves a smear on the skin that runs, hides the details and is hard to clean while tattooing.

Which mark should I choose for the fill?

Spaced lines read best; the cross marks more; dots load less. Each option comes with a preview made with your settings.

Does it damage fine lines?

No: only blacks wider than twice the outline are hollowed; the lines stay intact.

Related guides

Thermal printer stencilsFrom a drawing or a photo to a stencil that transfers well on a thermal printer: real size, clean-up, lines, fills, shading and the final file.Read the guide →Black fillsWhy a solid black ruins the transfer and how to keep just a firm outline with light marks inside (lines, cross, dots) so the fill stays recognisable without overloading the stencil.Read the guide →Transfer tipsScale, orientation, line weight, blacks, shading, specks, paper and skin: ten quick checks before transferring a thermal printer or thermal copier stencil.Read the guide →Full toolEvery step in one: design, clean-up, style, adjustments, effects, body and print.Open the tool →