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Letter stencils are a great tool for artists, designers, draftsmen, and anyone else who wants a quick, easy, low-tech way to add consistent and precise lettering to art, murals, signs, and other projects. They are available in a variety of fonts and sizes, from small calligraphic scripts to large, blocky lettering. Peruse our guide, below, to find the best letter stencils for your project.
1. Staedtler Lettering Guides: Letters & Numbers
Staedtler is known for precision drawing tools, and you can count its letter and number templates among them. This set includes four templates of numbers and letters in different sizes. Ink risers on the back prevent ink from smudging; using mechanical pencils or fine-tip markers ensures crisp results. Spacing guides on the templates help you keep letters consistently spaced and aligned. Made from shatterproof plastic, the stencils maintain their shape and are easily cleaned. These templates are great for signs, graphic design, painting projects, and murals.
2. Duro Stencil-It
Looking for large letter stencils that work well with paint? Duro’s 8-inch set is made from sturdy oil board, which is resistant to moisture. The letters hold up well when used with oil-based, latex, and acrylic paints; they are also excellent with spray paint. Symbols, capital letters, numbers, and an extra stencil for A, E, O, N, R, and S are included. The stencils are durable and may be used multiple times. They work well not only in sign making but also with paintings and murals.
3. Mr. Pen Letters and Numbers Stencils
Stencils are a wonderful tool to help young artists practice their fine-motor skills and achieve neat lettering in their artwork and school projects. Mr. Pen’s set offers simple block lettering in five font sizes on templates that include spacing guides. Made from durable nontoxic plastic, the stencils hold up to heavy classroom and art studio use. Raised nibs on the undersides prevent ink from smudging and crawling between the stencil and paper. The letters are clean and easy to read, perfect for signs, school projects, and artworks with text.
4. Darice Upper Case Alphabet Stencil
Can’t decide between serif text and flowing script? Darice’s set includes three fonts: a thin serif, a bold serif, and an ornate script. The letters are 1 inch high and feature capital letters; the bold font also provides numbers. Made from sturdy plastic, the stencils work well with pencil, ink, and paint and are reusable. One caveat: The plastic is opaque, so it can be a challenge to precisely place letters.
5. Stencil1 Old English Font Stencil
An old-timey font never goes out of style. Channel the Gutenberg Bible—but with your own twist—with stencils from this popular artist-founded brand, which launched in 2004 and is inspired by street art. Made of high-quality mylar, the reusable stencils are compatible with a wide range of mediums, from paint to markers to inks. The half-inch-tall letters and numbers are laser-cut for precision, and the mylar is easy to clean. Our one gripe is that there are no guidelines, which makes it a bit difficult to align your characters along a perfectly straight line.