MubarakLab

Stencilsmith — Sketch to Stencil

Turn a sketch into something you can make.

Formerly InkCut. Same app; your projects, backups and Pro unlock carry over.

Your artwork, ready to refine

Bring in a photo or scan, capture a sketch, or draw with your finger. Clean the image, trace filled regions on your device and refine editable vector outlines on your iPhone.

Available on the App Store for iPhone, iOS 26 and later. Free to download. Stencilsmith Pro is an optional one-time in-app purchase, and a free 7-Day Pro Trial lets you test it first. Earlier buyers keep Pro. No account, subscription, advertising or external AI service.

Download on theApp Store

From first sketch to physical size

Stencilsmith canvas displaying traced outlines from a sketch at a confirmed physical size.
Trace your sketch into editable outlines.
Stencilsmith stencil preview showing a retained-material bridge connecting the inner island to the surrounding material.
Add a bridge and review stencil connectivity.
Stencilsmith node editor showing anchor and incoming and outgoing handle coordinates in millimeters.
Refine anchors and handles with numeric controls.

Choose physically sized SVG, printable PDF or a PNG preview when your design is ready. Save an editable backup (a .inkcut file) to keep working later.

Keep the editable original

Projects and normalized source artwork are stored locally. You choose where exports and editable backups (.inkcut files) go. Files providers, receiving apps and device backups use their own services.

Tracing follows region boundaries; it does not create centerline tool paths or editable lettering. Check imported size in your destination software. Check your cutting software and material requirements before making a piece.

Read the guide and support

At a glance

Price
Free to download. Stencilsmith Pro is an optional one-time in-app purchase; a free 7-Day Pro Trial is available.
Requires
iPhone with iOS 26 or later
Language
English
Current version
1.3.0 (3 November 2026)
Formerly
InkCut (renamed in 1.3.0; same app and App Store listing)
App Privacy label
Data Not Collected
Developer
Mubarak Almahmeed (MubarakLab), Bahrain
App Store
Stencilsmith: Image to SVG (ID 6819163438)

Questions before your first cut

What does Stencilsmith do?

Stencilsmith vectorizes a photo, a scan or a finger sketch into a clean SVG of filled outlines, sized in real millimeters or inches. You can tune the trace, edit any node, check that a stencil holds together as one piece and export the result, all on your iPhone.

Is Stencilsmith free?

Yes, it is free to download. Capture, cleanup, tracing in up to two colors, path editing and stencil bridges are all included, and so are your first three SVG or PDF exports. PNG previews carry a small Stencilsmith mark. Stencilsmith Pro is a single one-time purchase, not a subscription. It removes the export limit and the preview mark, and opens color separation beyond two layers (up to six).

Can I try Stencilsmith Pro before buying it?

Yes. The 7-Day Pro Trial is a free in-app item: it never charges, does not renew and cannot be restarted. When it ends, Pro features lock again unless you buy Stencilsmith Pro, and your projects stay editable.

I bought InkCut when it was a paid download. Do I have to pay again?

No. If you bought InkCut (now Stencilsmith) before version 1.2, Stencilsmith Pro is already unlocked for you. After a reinstall or on another device, open Settings, then Stencilsmith Pro, then Restore Purchases while signed in with the same Apple Account.

Which files can Stencilsmith export?

An SVG made of plain filled paths with its physical width and height written in (all visible layers together, or one SVG per layer). A PDF at actual size, tiled across A4 or Letter with assembly marks and a 100 mm calibration bar, or fitted to one page. A PNG preview. And a portable project backup that stays fully editable. Backups keep the .inkcut extension and an "InkCut-backup" file name, unchanged by the rename so that older backups still restore.

Will the SVG open in my cutting machine's software?

Stencilsmith writes standard SVG with its physical size included, and most design and cutting software can import SVG. Import settings differ between programs, so check the size after importing and cut a small test piece first. Stencilsmith makes files only; it does not connect to or drive any cutting machine.

Can Stencilsmith make single-line (centerline) paths or editable text?

No. Stencilsmith traces the boundaries of filled shapes. It does not create single-line centerline paths for pens or engraving, and it does not rebuild editable lettering.

What is a stencil bridge?

A thin strip of material that keeps a loose island, such as the center of an O, attached to the rest of the stencil. Stencilsmith finds loose islands, adds bridges at the width you choose and rechecks every connection. A connected stencil is a geometry check, not a promise about the strength of your material.

Which pictures can I start from?

A photo of a paper drawing, a saved JPEG, PNG or HEIC picture from Photos or Files, or a sketch drawn with your finger. You can crop, straighten, correct perspective, adjust threshold and contrast, clear specks and erase background areas before tracing. Since version 1.2.1, camera photos trace with automatic photo settings.

Do I need an account or an internet connection?

No account is needed, and tracing, editing and exporting run on your iPhone. Purchases go through Apple.

Is Stencilsmith the same app as InkCut?

Yes. InkCut was renamed Stencilsmith in version 1.3.0. It is the same app by the same developer, with the same App Store listing (ID 6819163438). Your projects, backups and Pro unlock carry over.

Does Stencilsmith ask for a rating?

At most once, right after your first finished file, using Apple's standard rating prompt. You can also rate it from the App Store at any time.

Is Stencilsmith related to other software or apps with a similar name?

No. This page describes the iPhone app Stencilsmith: Image to SVG (formerly InkCut) by Mubarak Almahmeed (App Store ID 6819163438). It is not affiliated with other software or apps that use a similar name.

Where Stencilsmith fits

Stencilsmith does one job: picture in, sized cut file out, on a phone. Here is how that compares with the usual alternatives. Pick the tool that matches your work.

Desktop vector editors with an image-trace feature
They offer far more drawing and layout tools, but you need a computer. Stencilsmith stays on your iPhone and adds a physical size and a stencil connectivity check to the trace.
Online image-to-SVG converters
They are quick for a one-off file, and many process your picture on a server. Stencilsmith traces on your device, lets you edit the nodes afterwards and writes the real-world size into the file.
The design app that comes with a cutting machine
It is usually the place to arrange and send a job to that machine. Stencilsmith does not drive a machine. It prepares an SVG or PDF that you then import there.
Centerline or single-line tracing tools
If you need one-stroke paths for a pen plotter or engraving, use one of these. Stencilsmith traces filled regions only.

Categories are described in general terms; features of other products vary, so check them for yourself.

What changed

1.3.0 · 3 November 2026
InkCut is now Stencilsmith. Same app and same developer: your projects, backups and Pro unlock carry over. The app asks for a rating at most once, right after your first finished file.
1.2.1 · 21 October 2026
Fixes for your first cut file: camera photos trace in seconds with automatic photo settings; pictures keep their shape (a round logo stays round); new traces come out as clean outlines with much smaller SVG files; size is set inside SVG export; shared files use your project's name; Settings → See InkCut Pro opens again; simpler first steps.
1.2 · 13 October 2026
InkCut became free to download, with InkCut Pro as an optional one-time purchase and a free 7-Day Pro Trial. Earlier buyers keep Pro. A guided first project traces a sample drawing.
1.1 · October 2026
Three-pane layout on iPhone Duo: original drawing, vector canvas and tool inspector side by side.
1.0 · 6 October 2026
First release.

What stays on your iPhone

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