If you've ever tried cutting a phrase out of MDF, paper, or acrylic and the inner parts of the letters simply fell off (like the center of the "A", "O", "R", "B"...), you've experienced the classic problem of not using stencils.

The good news: this is 100% avoidable with a good Stencil Mode and some simple care in preparing the file.

In this guide, you will learn:

• What is a stencil and why is it necessary?
• Why do letters "break" when cutting?
• How to create stencils for MDF, paper, and acrylic
• How to automate this process using the Vectorizer's Stencil Mode
• Practical tips to avoid headaches when cutting

1. What is a stencil? 🎨

A stencil is a technique in which a design or text is cut out of a board (MDF, paper, acrylic, metal, etc.), but in such a way that all the important parts remain attached to the material.

It is widely used for:

• Decorative plaques
• Painting stencils (spray, airbrush)
• Customizing boxes, frames, and MDF pieces
• Engraving repetitive letters and symbols

The central idea of ​​stenciling is simple:

Everything that is a loose island needs to be connected to the rest of the material by connecting bridges.

These connecting bridges are precisely what many people call "stencil bridges" or, in your platform, the Stencil Mode function.

2. Why do letters "fall" when cut? 🔤

Let's take the letter "A" as an example.

When you cut out a solid "A" from a material:

• The outer part of the letter is cut out.
• But the "core" of the A (the inner part) remains loose after cutting.

The same happens with letters like:

• A, O, P, B, D, R, Q
• Numbers like 0, 6, 8, 9
• Some symbols and icons with closed internal areas

Without a stencil, what should be an "A" becomes an open triangle, a hole without a defined shape, or even a cut that "tears" the letter.

Solution: create connecting bridges between these internal parts and the rest of the board, so that:

• The inner part doesn't fall out
• The shape remains legible

3. How Stencil Mode Works in Practice 🧠

Stencil Mode is a smart way to:

Detect internal areas that would otherwise be loose (islands)

Automatically create connecting bridges in these areas

In a typical workflow with the Vectorizer, the process would be:

• You upload artwork (text, logo, phrase, drawing) in JPG/PNG format
• The platform vectorizes the image (transforms it into SVG)
• You activate Stencil Mode
• The system generates a vector with the bridges already inserted, ready for:
• Laser cutting
• CNC cutting plotter (depending on the material)

These bridges are drawn as small sections where the outline is intentionally "interrupted," creating a connection between the core and the exterior.

4. Preparing your stencil for MDF, paper, and acrylic ⚙️

Although the concept is the same, each material has its own particularities.

Below are some practical guidelines that you can include in the article as a technical differentiator.

4.1. Stencil on MDF 🪵

MDF is widely used for:

• Decorative plaques
• Letters, phrases, and signs
• Painting stencils

Main precautions:

• Minimum bridge thickness:
• For 3mm MDF: try to maintain bridges of at least 1.5–2 mm
• For 6mm or thicker MDF: you can use 2–3 mm or more, depending on the use

Distance between cuts:

• Avoid details that are too close together: MDF that is heavily "cut" can break easily

Overall size of the piece:

• The larger the plaque, the wider the bridges can (and should) be, to provide robustness

Tip: for large decorative plaques with phrases, it is better to sacrifice a little "delicacy" and ensure resistance.

4.2. Paper Stencils 📄

Paper is used for:

• Painting stencils
• Temporary art
• Decoration in scrapbooking, invitations, etc.

Main precautions:

Minimum bridge thickness:

• 180–240g paper: 0.7–1 mm bridges are sufficient
• Thinner papers: use at least 1 mm for safety

Design complexity:

• Avoid very delicate details that may tear when removing

Direction of stress:

• If the stencil will be handled frequently, reinforce bridges in areas of greater contact

Tip: for paper, the visual aspect is important, but remember that it is a fragile material: prefer fewer cuts and simpler bridges.

4.3. Acrylic Stencil 🔷

Acrylic is great for:

• Signage
• More durable paint masks
• Repeatedly used stencils
• Key precautions:

Minimum bridge thickness:

• Acrylic 2–3mm: bridges of 2 mm or more
• Acrylic 4–6mm: bridges of 3–4 mm are safer

Material temperature and stress:

• Acrylic can crack more easily if the piece becomes too structurally “fragile”

Repeated use:

• If the stencil will be used multiple times, size the bridges with durability in mind, not just aesthetics

Tip: acrylic is beautiful, but brittle. Think of it as “thick glass”: don't overdo the thin cutouts.

5. Step-by-step: creating a stencil with the Vectorizer 🧩

Here's a generic flow that you can adapt to the actual interface of your platform.

Step 1 – Prepare the artwork

You can start with:

• Text created in any editor (Photoshop, Corel, Canva, etc.)
• A logo in PNG/JPG format
• A hand-drawn, scanned, or photographed image

Best practices:

• Prefer high contrast (black on white)
• Avoid heavily cluttered backgrounds
• If it's text, use crisp, not too thin, fonts

Step 2 – Upload the image to the Vectorizer

• Access the platform's vectorization tool
• Upload the JPG or PNG file
• Select the appropriate mode:
• Black and white, if it's a pure stencil
• Or color, if you want to work with colors later, but for cutting it's usually black and white

The system converts your image to SVG, which is the ideal vector format for:

• Fine adjustments
• DXF export (for CNC/laser)
• Editing in other software, if necessary

Step 3 – Activate Stencil Mode

With the generated vector:

• Activate the Stencil option Mode
• The system will:
• Find internal areas that would fall into the cut
• Automatically insert connecting bridges in these regions

Depending on the platform configuration, you can:

• Adjust the thickness of the bridges (ideal for each material)
• Adjust the density/quantity of bridges (more or less reinforcement)

Step 4 – Adjust for the material (MDF, paper, acrylic)

This is where the knowledge from the previous sections comes in:

• For MDF: thicker and more spaced bridges
• For paper: thin, but not fragile bridges
• For acrylic: robust and well-positioned bridges

Your text can guide the user with something like:

“Define the thickness of the bridges according to the material. For 3mm MDF, we recommend something around 1.5–2mm.”

Step 5 – Export the file to the machine

After creating the stencil:

• Download the file in SVG or DXF format (in the case of CNC Tools PRO)
• Import it into your machine's software:
• Laser: LightBurn, RDWorks, etc.
• CNC: CAM software compatible with DXF
• Plotter: software such as Studio, Flexi, etc.

Tip: before making the final cut:

• Do a test on a smaller piece or on cheaper material
• Check:
• If the letters are legible
• If the bridges are not too thin
• If there are no very fragile parts

6. Good design practices for stencils ✍️

Here are some recommendations to give your projects a professional touch:

6.1. Prefer stencil fonts (or similar)

There are fonts created specifically for stencils, which already have the "bridges" built-in.

If you don't use a stencil font:

• The Vectorizer's Stencil Mode will solve this automatically.
• But it's still good to avoid fonts that are:
• Too thin
• Too detailed
• With complex ornaments

6.2. Avoid tiny details

• Very small details:
• Don't cut well
• Burn on the laser
• Tear on the paper
• Always ask: "Will this really show up in the final size?"
• If not, simplify the design.

6.3. Think about cleaning and finishing.

Stencils are used in:

• Spray painting
• Paint applied with a roller/brush
• Surface marking

If the bridges are too thin or poorly distributed:

• The paint may accumulate too much in certain areas.
• Cleaning the stencil becomes difficult.
• The final result loses definition.

A good stencil is:

• Structurally strong.
• Visually clean.
• Easy to use and clean.

7. Advantages of using an automatic Stencil Mode 🚀

Doing all this manually in vector editing software is possible, but:

• It's time-consuming
• It's prone to errors
• It's tedious to repeat across multiple files

With Vectorizer's Stencil Mode, you gain:

• Speed: bridges generated in seconds
• Consistency: uniform thickness pattern
• Precision: automatic detection of critical internal areas
• Scalability: ideal for those who produce multiple models or work professionally with CNC/laser

For those who make a living from customization, cutting, and engraving, this means:

• Less time on the computer
• More time producing and selling

8. Conclusion: Smarter stencils, more professional cuts ✅

Working with stencils isn't just about "cutting letters"; it's about understanding:

• How the material behaves
• How the machine cuts
• How to ensure nothing falls off or breaks

Using a combination of:

• Good design practices
• Knowledge of MDF, paper, and acrylic
• And an intelligent Stencil Mode like the Vectorizer's

You can achieve:

• Stronger plates and molds
• Always legible letters
• Faster and more reliable processes

If you're still creating stencils "by eye" or editing point by point in graphic software, it's worth testing this automated workflow:

upload the image → vectorize → activate Stencil Mode → export for cutting.

It's the kind of adjustment that improves the work of beginners and saves a lot of time for professionals.