Photoshop is a very powerful image manipulation program that allows you to create all kinds of figures. Thanks to the "Crop Effect" filter, you can turn any photograph into a stencil. You can later print it on thick paper and cut it out to use however you like.
Steps
Step 1. Open the image you want to turn into a stencil
Open the Photoshop program and load the photograph you are interested in.
Step 2. Open the "Threshold" tool
To do this, click on "Image" → "Adjustment" → "Threshold". The image will become black and white.
Step 3. Drag the threshold slider to change the level of detail
As you move this indicator left and right, you will be able to see more or less detail. Continue in this way until you find an adjustment that suits you, a good compromise between clearly visible contours and a certain number of details.
Step 4. Delete any background elements you don't care about
You most likely have a photo with a background that just makes the image look pretty blurry. Choose the large, white "brush" tool to quickly erase any element you don't want to see. To remove the white portions, use the large black "brush" tool; in this way you make them completely black and uniform.
With the "Crop" tool you can crop large portions of an image that are not useful for your project
Step 5. Connect all the white areas that are separated together
When you cut out and print a stencil, you need to cut out the black portions so that the paint can go through them. This means that if there are any isolated white details, you need to connect them together to be able to cut out the stencil correctly. Use the white "brush" tool to quickly connect these white portions.
Make other links with the goal of getting a sturdy stencil that doesn't lose its shape when you use it
Step 6. Open the "Crop Effect" filter
When you have made all the connections between the white areas of the image, click on "Filter" → "Artistic" → "Crop Effect". This tool modifies the image by creating straighter lines and therefore easier to crop.
If you are using one of the most up-to-date versions of Photoshop (higher than CS6), then you will need to select the "Preferences" → "Links" → "Filter Gallery" menu before you can see the "artistic" filters
Step 7. Change the settings of the "Crop Effect" filter
The various sliders allow you to adjust the level of "flattening" applied to the image. The slider named "Outline Simplicity" makes the edges more straight and turns the photograph into a more stencil-like image. You will notice an abundant loss of detail which makes cropping easier.
Step 8. Check the stencil in its entirety before printing it
Watch it carefully for isolated white areas or extraneous details. Don't worry too much about the random lines, as you can ignore and delete them the moment you cut out the stencil.
Step 9. Print the image
Once you are satisfied with the result, you can print it. Remember to use fairly thick paper so that the stencil is strong and strong. You can set the printer to "grayscale" to save some cartridge color.
Step 10. Cut out the stencil
After you print it, you just have to cut it out and use it. Take a pair of scissors and cut out all the black sections of the image. Pay attention to the connections between the isolated white areas so as not to miss any details. In the end you should have only the white portions of the photograph and the "holes" where the black areas were.
