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Tattoo Stencil Size Chart
One page you can print and pin above the workstation: print width by placement, true-scale bars, and a calibration ruler to prove your printer is not scaling.
Quick answer: Print width by placement: finger 1–2 cm, inner wrist 4–6 cm, forearm 8–12 cm, upper arm or calf 12–18 cm, shoulder blade 15–25 cm, back 20–35 cm. The free A4 PDF includes true-scale bars and a 100 mm calibration rule so you can prove your printer is not scaling.
Download the free PDF (A4, 300 DPI)
Print width by placement
| Placement | Print width | Detail kept | Note |
|---|
| Finger / toe | 1–2 cm | Outline only | Lines merge below 0.25 mm |
| Inner wrist | 4–6 cm | Contour, little interior | Curved — edges distort |
| Forearm | 8–12 cm | Contour + some interior | The easiest placement |
| Upper arm / calf | 12–18 cm | Full contour, some texture | Good for portraits |
| Shoulder blade | 15–25 cm | Everything the photo has | Flat surface, holds detail |
| Back / thigh | 20–35 cm | Full detail with background | Plan two sessions above 25 cm |
What is in the PDF
- The full placement table above, laid out for A4 at 300 DPI.
- True-scale bars for 2, 6, 12 and 15 cm — lay a ruler beside them to check your print.
- A 100 mm calibration bar at the bottom: if it does not measure 100 mm, your printer is scaling the page.
- A before/after example showing what the conversion looks like.
Why print size beats design
A stencil scaled up keeps the same number of lines but spreads them apart, so the piece looks sparse. Scaled down, lines crowd together and merge into a black mass. Line weight, detail and healing all follow print size, which is why the chart starts there.
Print at 100% scale. 'Fit to page' silently rescales the artwork by a few percent — enough to change every line weight in the design.
Using the chart with the generator
- Find the placement and read the print width.
- Set that width in the generator's Print width control.
- Export the stencil PDF at A4 or Letter, mirrored for transfer.
- Print at 100%, then check the calibration bar before transferring.
Free to copy and share
The chart is free to download, print, and hand out at a studio. You do not need an account and there is no email gate. If you republish it, a link to tattoostencil.ink is appreciated but not required.
Make a stencil at your size
Frequently asked
Is the size chart free?
Yes. It is a one-page A4 PDF, no email required, and you can print and share it.
What does the calibration bar do?
It is exactly 100 mm long on paper. If your print measures differently, the printer is scaling the page and every stencil size will be wrong.
Why do small placements lose detail?
Lines closer than about 0.25 mm merge as the skin heals, so a design with more than roughly 30 lines needs at least 8 cm of width.