Comparison

Tattoo Stencil Maker vs Linework

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Tattoo Stencil Maker

Features
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Photo → clean line art → body preview → thermal / print-ready export. Sten AI turns photos, references, and ideas into clean, print-ready tattoo stencils — fast. Whether you're a tattoo artist preparing a session, an apprentice learning the craft, or someone planning your next tattoo, Sten AI gives you professional stencil outlines in seconds. 1) PHOTO TO LINE ART Upload any image from your gallery or camera. Sten AI transforms it into crisp black line art ready for transfer — classic outlines, stipple, crosshatch, and broken-line styles. 2) BODY PREVIEW BEFORE INK Try designs on your skin before you commit. See how a stencil looks on the exact body area you plan to tattoo. 3) THERMAL / PRINT-READY EXPORT Save and export as PNG or PDF. Use your stencils for tattoo transfer paper, flash sheets, thermal printers, or client consultations. CREATE FROM IDEAS Describe your design in words and let AI generate a stencil concept you can refine and export. MULTIPLE STENCIL STYLES Choose the look that fits your work: clean classic lines, stipple shading, crosshatch texture, or broken-line detail. YOUR CREATION LIBRARY All your stencils and try-ons saved in one place. Revisit, re-export, and refine anytime. Sten AI is built for tattoo artists and enthusiasts who want fast, reliable stencil generation — without complicated desktop software. Download Sten AI and start creating your next stencil in seconds. Subscription Information Some features require a subscription to access premium content and advanced AI functionality. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://lmaktstudio.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-2b28d972f8dd8066bcdfe58fc1e7f1ca

About

Linework

Features
Read full description

Made for tattoo artists. Turn photos, drawings, screenshots, and references into clean tattoo stencil linework. Fix the lines yourself, set the exact size in inches or centimeters, and export a true-size PDF for AirPrint or your thermal printer's app. Works on iPhone and iPad, and with Procreate through Files. First stencil free. SEE IT CONVERTED FIRST Choose a reference from Photos, Files, the clipboard or the camera. The stencil appears the moment it imports, before you touch a control or a plan. Hold to compare it with the original. THREE CONTROLS IN ARTIST LANGUAGE • Detail: how much structure is kept, from major contours to fine hatching. • Line Weight: thicker or thinner lines, without breaking them. • Contrast: how much of the image's tone becomes black. Fills keeps solid areas solid, reduces them to an outline, or drops them. Invert handles light lines on a dark ground. Crop to the part you need. Output is pure black line on white. No gray, so nothing prints as mud. RETOUCH THE LINES YOURSELF Erase what you don't need and draw new lines, with the original underneath at any opacity. Four brushes measured in millimetres at the printed size, from 0.3 mm to 3 mm. Undo and redo. Apple Pencil on iPad, with a Pencil-only option so your palm never draws. SIZE DESCRIBES THE INK, NOT THE CANVAS Margins are trimmed before the size is computed, so 3.0 in wide means the drawing is 3.0 in wide. Set width or height in inches or centimeters against a ruler drawn to scale. Mirror in one tap: the export preview and the filename both say Mirrored, so you never print the wrong way round. EXPORT TRUE TO SIZE • True-size PDF on Letter, A4 or Legal, always at 100%, never fit to page. • High-res PNG at 300 DPI. • AirPrint straight from the app. If your printer offers scaling, choose actual size. • An optional labeled 1 in / 25.4 mm check line in the margin, so one print and a ruler confirm your printer. • Stencils larger than the page tile across sheets with overlap marks and page labels. • Small stencils repeat: choose how many copies fit on a page. SAVED. REPRINT ANY TIME. Every stencil is a project on your device, with its original, sliders, strokes, size and mirror state. Name it, duplicate it for a second placement, and reopen it for the next session. ONE FREE STENCIL, THEN ONE PLAN The first stencil is free through every step, with no watermark and no time limit. Unlimited stencils: monthly, yearly, or a one-time lifetime purchase. No credits, no daily caps, no account. NOTHING LEAVES YOUR DEVICE Conversion runs on your iPhone or iPad. The photo picker takes one image without access to your library. No account, no upload. WORKS WITH YOUR SETUP Import exports, scans and downloads through Files, or open an image in Linework from another app. Print on AirPrint printers from Brother, Canon, Epson and HP, or send the true-size PDF to a thermal stencil printer through its own app. On screen, the linework is drawn in hectograph purple, black or red. Exports are always black. Subscriptions renew until cancelled and can be managed in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy policy: https://www.orchidstack.com/linework/privacy

Screenshots

Tattoo Stencil Maker4 screens
Linework4 screens

Verdict

The call

Tattoo Stencil Maker and Linework are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Tattoo Stencil Maker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Linework sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Tattoo Stencil Maker versus Linework: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTattoo Stencil MakerLinework
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size73 MB10 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperLingga Kusuma SaktiGrant Gajkowski

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Tattoo Stencil Maker

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Weekly Plan7 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Sten AI Yearly Sale$24.991 Year
  • Pro Annual Plan$39.991 Year
3 purchases

Linework

Subscriptions2
  • Linework Monthly$6.991 Month
  • Linework Annual$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$59.99

Questions

Is Tattoo Stencil Maker free?
Tattoo Stencil Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Linework free?
Linework is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Tattoo Stencil Maker or Linework have ads?
Neither Tattoo Stencil Maker nor Linework shows ads.

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