Creating a Stencil in Photoshop

Part 1: Making the Stencil

Step 1:
Open a new document (file-> new). Make it 4 inches by 4 inches, and 300 resolution.
Step 2:
Copy and paste a picture from the internet. Resize the picture so it takes up most of the
document (Control + T).
Step 3:
Use the Crop Tool to resize the document to fit the picture.
Step 4:
Use the Polygonal Lasso to cut out the background.
Step 5:

Use the Dodge Tool to lighten up
areas that you want to still show
up in the stencil (shadowed
areas will disappear)

See next slide for an example.
Before:
After:
Step 6:

Go to
Image -> Adjustments -> Threshold
Step 7:

Adjust the slider bar so
you get a good amount
of black and white.



Click OK when you are
done.
Step 8:

Right click on the layer
and click on
Flatten Image

Step 9:

Double click on the lock
icon,


and then click OK.
Step 10:

Go to

Image -> Adjustments -> Invert
This is what it should
look like.
Step 11:

Use the Magic Wand tool and
click on a white area.
Step 12:

Go to

Select -> Similar
Step 13:

Press Backspace on the
keyboard.
The grey checkerboard
shows where the image is
transparent (see-through).
Step 14:

Go to File -> Save As


**VERY IMPORTANT**

Change the Format to
PNG

Click Save.



Click on None