MyTattooStencilAccountCreateGridPrint vs MyTattooStencil: Print a Large Tattoo Stencil Across Pages, With or Without a Design
Updated November 3, 2026. Features checked on each tool's own pages that day.
MyTattooStencil costs $4.99 once for 20 designs, with no subscription, and it does two jobs in one browser tab: it designs a tattoo with AI from a text description, then exports it as a true-size stencil split across A4 or Letter pages. If you already have finished artwork and only need it printed big, use GridPrint instead. It's free, needs no account, and does the tiling part very well (GridPrint FAQ). The real question is whether you have a design yet.
Side by side
| GridPrint | MyTattooStencil | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. "No fees, no watermarks, no premium tier, no account." Some pages show ads. | 1 free design after signing in (low-res, watermarked), then $4.99 for 20 or $9.99 for 60, paid once |
| Account | None | Sign-in required |
| Where the design comes from | Your own image (JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG and more) | AI design from a text description in 30+ styles, or an image you upload (PNG, JPG or WebP up to 10 MB) |
| Turn an image into stencil lines | Edge detection with an adjustable threshold | Outline only or with shading; Fine, Standard or Bold line width |
| Set the real size | Type a width or height in cm or inches, or tap two points and enter the real distance | Design width from 1 to 100 cm |
| Paper | A4, A3, Letter, Legal, Tabloid | A4 or Letter PDF, plus an 80 mm thermal roll PNG (76 mm printable width) at 203 or 300 dpi |
| Large designs | Split across as many pages as needed, with crop marks, overlap guides, page numbers and an assembly guide | Designs larger than one printable page are split into aligned tiles |
| Check the scale | A scale ruler in the assembly guide | A 10 cm calibration square: each edge should measure 100 mm, within 2 mm |
| Mirror for transfer | Not listed on its tattoo page | Mirror toggle |
| Where images are processed | In your browser; works offline once loaded | Stencil conversion in your browser |
Sources: GridPrint tattoo stencil page, GridPrint FAQ, MyTattooStencil stencil maker, MyTattooStencil pricing. In our own test export on October 31, 2026, a 30 cm-wide design on A4 came out as 5 pages: a calibration and assembly page plus a 2 × 2 grid.
Use GridPrint when
- You already have the final artwork, from your artist, a flash sheet, or your own drawing. GridPrint will print it at exact size for free, and there's no reason to pay for that.
- You need A3, Legal or Tabloid paper. MyTattooStencil only exports A4 and Letter.
- You want to set size by a real measurement on the design, for example "top of the rose to the bottom of the stem is 18 cm". GridPrint's two-point sizing does this directly.
- You'd rather not create an account. GridPrint has none.
Use MyTattooStencil when
- You don't have a design yet. Describe it ("fine-line peony with a date in script, forearm, 15 cm") and pick a style; you get a design you can iterate on, then the stencil, in one place. GridPrint doesn't generate designs.
- You want to try several ideas before committing. 20 designs for $4.99 is about $0.25 each.
- You print on a thermal stencil printer. The 80 mm roll export at 203 or 300 dpi saves a conversion step.
- Your transfer method needs a mirrored stencil. There's a mirror toggle in the export.
The step both tools agree on: print at 100%
Large stencils go wrong at the printer more often than in the software. Whichever tool you use:
- In the print dialog, choose 100% or Actual size. Turn off "Fit to page" and "Scale to fit".
- Print the first page on plain paper and measure the scale check with a ruler before using stencil or transfer paper. On a MyTattooStencil PDF, the calibration square should be 100 mm on each edge, within 2 mm. If it isn't, fix the printer setting rather than adjusting by eye.
- Trim and tape from behind, following the page numbers and overlap marks, before you transfer.
- Hold the assembled stencil on the body and check placement in a mirror. It's much cheaper to reprint plain paper than to move a stencil on skin.
Step-by-step print settings are in our guide to printing a tattoo stencil at the right size.
FAQ
Is GridPrint free for tattoo stencils? Yes. Its FAQ says there are no fees, no watermarks, no premium tier and no account.
Can GridPrint design a tattoo for me? No. It converts and tiles an image you already have. To create a design from a description, use an AI tattoo generator such as MyTattooStencil, then print.
How big can a stencil from MyTattooStencil be? Up to 100 cm wide. Anything larger than one A4 or Letter page is split into aligned tiles.
Do I need a subscription for MyTattooStencil? No. It's $4.99 for 20 designs or $9.99 for 60, paid once. The 60-pack includes commercial use.