New Makerfern for Chrome: right-click any picture on the web to make a cut file, coloring page or stencil from it. Add to Chrome, free

Rhinestone template maker: true-size holes for any design, free

Free and in your browser, with nothing uploaded: type a name or add a picture, set the width, and pick SS6, SS10, SS16 or SS20 stones. You get a cut file with every hole at its true size, the stone count, and a hole size test strip.

Faster with the free Chrome extension: right-click any picture on a website and send it straight to the rhinestone template maker. Add to Chrome · what it does

The holes stay the right size at any design size

Rhinestone fonts and finished rhinestone files have one problem: when you resize them, the holes change size too, and stones fall through or won't go in. This tool works the other way round. You set the size of the design first, and it fills that shape with holes of the size your stones need, so a bigger design gets more stones, never bigger holes.

What you get

  • An SVG cut file with every hole as a circle at its true size, for Cricut Design Space and Silhouette Studio Designer Edition.
  • A DXF cut file of the same holes, which Silhouette Studio's free edition opens.
  • The stone count, and how many gross (144) to buy.
  • A hole size test strip: five holes 0.1 mm apart, to check your stones before cutting the whole design.
  • A PNG preview at 300 dpi and true size.

How to use it

  1. Type the text and pick a font, or choose Picture and add a logo or cut-out.
  2. Set the width, the stone size and the style: outline, rows or honeycomb.
  3. Cut the test strip from your template material, brush a few stones in, and adjust the hole size if they don't drop in flat.
  4. Download the cut file and import it at 100%, without resizing it.

What it does not do

  • It does not mix stone sizes or colours in one design.
  • It does not give cutting or pressing settings: those depend on your machine, the template material and the stones, so follow their makers and do a test cut.
  • Parts of a design thinner than one stone can't hold a hole. The tool says when that happens: make the design larger or pick a smaller stone.

Questions

Why do the holes stay the same size when I make the design bigger?

Because the stones are placed after the size is set. You give the design's width, and the tool fills that shape with holes of the size your stones need. A larger design gets more stones, not larger holes. Resizing a finished rhinestone file in your cutting software scales the holes too, which is why the files here should be imported at 100%.

What hole size should I use for SS10 or SS16 stones?

The defaults sit between two published hole charts:

  • SS6: stones 1.9 to 2.1 mm, holes 2.5 mm (0.098 in)
  • SS10: stones 2.7 to 2.9 mm, holes 3.3 mm (0.130 in)
  • SS16: stones 3.8 to 4.0 mm, holes 4.4 mm (0.173 in)
  • SS20: stones 4.6 to 4.8 mm, holes 5.3 mm (0.209 in)

Stones differ a little from brand to brand, so cut the test strip first. It has five holes, 0.1 mm apart, around the size picked. Use the smallest hole your stones drop into and lie flat in, and set the hole adjustment to match.

How many stones do I need?

The count under the preview is the number of holes in the file. Stones are usually sold by the gross (144), so the tool also gives the count in gross, rounded up. Buy some spare as well: a few always end up on the floor.

Which file do I use with Cricut or Silhouette?

Cricut Design Space: upload the SVG. Silhouette Studio: the free edition opens the DXF; Designer Edition and higher open the SVG as well. Both files are at true size, in millimetres or inches.

Which style should I pick?

Outline puts one row of stones just inside the edge, with a stone on each sharp corner: it reads well from a distance and uses the fewest stones. Filled in rows follows the shape all the way in. Honeycomb fill is a straight grid, the tightest packing, clipped to the shape.

Can I use my own picture?

Yes. Choose Picture and add a logo, clipart or a PNG with a see-through background. The tool finds the shape's outline and fills it with stones. For a badge or a logo with light lettering on a dark background, pick Dark parts only: the light details then become gaps in the stones. Fine details smaller than a stone can't hold one, so simple, bold shapes work best.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The text, the picture and the files are all made in your browser and saved from memory on your device.