Give a favorite photo a Halloween glow
Choose a clear photo and turn its shadows into a pumpkin carving stencil. Frame your subject, watch the result change on the pumpkin, and add connecting strips where needed before printing.
Processed on your device · No upload or sign-up · Free PDF
Drag to move · Scroll to resize · Sliders stay in syncDrag to move · Use Photo size to resize · Sliders stay in sync
Black = cut outWhite = keepPurple = loose piece
Black shapes are cut away; white stays. Draw with a mouse or touch. On the canvas, arrow keys move the brush; Space paints, Shift + arrows draw.
Preparing your stencil…
Print layoutA4 · 160 mm wideIncludes blank space. Photo size changes the picture inside this area.
Print at 100% / Actual size and check the 50 mm line.
Black is cut away; white is kept. Cutting all the way around the eye center would leave nothing to hold it. A small uncut strip connects it to the rest of the pumpkin. Stencil makers call this strip a bridge.
Turn on Keep pieces in place to add strips automatically, then adjust Connecting strip width. Turn it off to compare without losing the original shapes. Downloads keep the version you see, even when pieces are unconnected. Remove small specks removes tiny black holes instead. Neither setting can check whether your pumpkin is strong enough to carve.
Add a photo in the preview to adjust its size, position and detail.
Drag the photo on the pumpkin to move it, or scroll over it to resize. These sliders stay in sync. Every download uses the same layout.
100% fills the template. Move at any size, or shrink to leave space. Anything beyond the square is cropped; blank space stays uncut.
Removes tiny black cut-outs for fewer fiddly holes. It does not connect the white pieces you want to keep.
Adds uncut strips to hold enclosed pieces to the pumpkin. This changes some details. Turn it on when preparing to carve, or leave it off to keep the original shapes. You can download either version.
Finer strips keep more detail; wider strips leave more pumpkin attached. The approximate printed width changes with Print width. Check thin areas on your pumpkin before carving.
Changing a design setting rebuilds the stencil; Undo brings your previous design back.
Choose the photo before the settings
Use a close view with a clear outline: a pet in profile or a single object is easier to separate than a busy group photo. Crop away background detail. This tool changes tones into shapes; it does not automatically remove the background.
Prefer a ready-made dog silhouette? →Moving Dark areas to cut to the right cuts more of the image; moving left keeps only the darkest parts. Use Cut light areas instead when the subject is light on a dark background. The pumpkin updates live as you adjust it, while the small photo preview shows the layout. Photo size can enlarge or shrink the picture. Move it left, right, up or down at any size; parts outside the square template are cropped, and empty space stays uncut.
Compare simple cat shapes →Remove small specks reduces tiny separate cut-outs; it does not smooth the edges of larger shapes. It does not solve floating white pieces, such as the center of an eye surrounded by a dark outline. Keep pieces in place starts off so you can see the original shapes. Turn it on when preparing to carve, then adjust Connecting strip width. Finer strips preserve more detail; wider ones leave more pumpkin attached. Compare the result on the pumpkin, or open Edit stencil to see unconnected pieces in purple. You can download either version. Before cutting all the way through, connect the pieces you want to keep; the Restore pumpkin brush lets you add strips by hand.
Try mixing a custom face instead →Photo size and position arrange the picture within a square template. At 100%, the photo fills that area; reduce it to leave more space, or enlarge it to focus on a face. Print width sets the width of the entire template on paper, including blank space. For example, a subject that spans half a 16 cm template will print about 8 cm wide; change Print width to 12 cm and the same subject becomes about 6 cm wide. The pumpkin illustration has no fixed real-world size. Use the paper preview and measure your pumpkin before printing at 100% / Actual size.
A photo contains many shades and textures. This template uses two values: dark areas to remove and white areas to keep. Fine fur, hair and background texture can become tiny fragments. Move closer to the subject, use the cleanup setting and remove unnecessary cuts by hand. The pumpkin preview is an illustration, not a prediction of the carved result.
Set the width for a smooth area of your pumpkin. Print the PDF at 100% / Actual size, check the 50 mm line, and tape the paper in place. Trace with transfer paper or prick closely spaced dots around the dark shapes. Remove the paper before an adult carves. Keep all white bridges intact; the connection check does not guarantee their physical strength.
Full printing and transfer instructions →No. Your browser turns the photo into light and dark shapes, removes selected small specks, and checks which white areas need a connection. Controls update the result immediately. It keeps the shapes already present in your photo, so a clear subject and simple background help. It does not invent details or automatically remove the background.
Your photo is opened and converted in this browser. It is not uploaded, added to a public gallery or saved to your account. Download the finished stencil as PDF, PNG or SVG. Leaving the page discards the photo and your adjustments.
Check small cut-outs and connecting strips on your actual-size print before carving.