How DO I UPSCALE my photo?

Open the app and click the LOAD PHOTO button. Choose your photograph or artwork and CROP it close to the main subject matter. This will help ensure a cleaner UPSCALE process and a sharper stencil, later. Click LOAD at the top right of the screen. You can save/export the UPSCALED photograph, on the next page, and it will allow you to save it directly to your iOS photo album.

*NOTE You can also click the SHARPEN tool (on the right of the main edit page, after loading photo) to sharpen your UPSCALED photograph a little bit more.

WHat is “hsv conversion”?

HSV CONVERSION uses the raw brightness (value) of each individual pixel when doing the conversion to grayscale. This results in less hard lines and a more “ghostly” effect for certain images, and excels at converting smooth gradients. Using HSV CONVERSION is usually more ideal for artists who prefer a bit of a softer, value-scale stencil, as opposed to a more traditional line-based stencil. We recommend trying to generate your stencil with HSV CONVERSION set to ON or OFF, and saving each different stencil file to your tablet’s photo album. Each reference photo and piece of artwork is unique so inputting different settings during the stencil generation process will provide different results in every final stencil.

Try the process, a few times, by saving/exporting each stencil to your tablet’s photo album and compare them all, side by side, until you find your desired sharpness and boldness. Practice makes perfect so have fun trying out all of the different options!

how much should i ‘Sharpen’ my photograph?

The amount in which you’d like to SHARPEN your photo/artwork is up to you because it will alter the way your stencil-generation will render and look. in SHARPEN, we suggest adjusting the AMOUNT in small 10% increments, or so, to slightly sharpen it, then click DONE, when you think it looks sharp enough. Then try generating your stencil, from there, by clicking STENCIL. Try saving it at each stage (you can EXPORT your photo to your tablet’s photo album at any time), so you can compare your various levels of sharpness and detail. It’s very easy to DISCARD the project and quickly start the process over, so you can save and compare multiple versions of a final stencil, side by side.

*NOTE Every photograph and/or piece of artwork is unique, so you’ll want to try inputting different settings for each new stencil. Keep trying the process with different set parameters and you’ll end up with your ideal stencil. Practice makes perfect so have fun trying out all of the different options!

HOW DO I TURN MY FINAL DESIGN IN TO A STENCIL?

Every design is unique and will require a unique approach to creating a great stencil, on GHOSTLINE. We understand that some artists use several layers of photo reference and/or art, when making their tattoo design mock-up. In most instances; you will be able to generate a great stencil for every design, regardless of detail. If one section of your artwork is generating great, but the another section of your stencil isn’t to your standard or liking, however; then we suggest generating your stencil in different layers, on GHOSTLINE.

You can do this by saving each, individual photograph (or layer) in your mock-up, separately, and make a stencil, on GHOSTLINE, for EACH photograph. Save each stencil, then combine each stencil using your preferred design software. Then you can save and print that final mock-up on GHOSTLINE. See our TUTORIALS for more detailed help on this subject.

how do i generate A 3-d value-scale stencil?

Some artists prefer a softer, 3-dimensional stencil, with tons of different value levels; rather than a bold line-based stencil. Here are a few ways to generate a different look and feel to your final stencil:

1. LOAD your photograph. Click UPSCALE to on and USE HSV CONVERSION to on. DO NOT CLICK SHARPEN. Skip that step and just click STENCIL, then turn up your INTENSITY all the way to the right and slide your DETAIL nearly all the way to the left. Adjust slightly so you can find your desired value levels and click DONE.

2. LOAD your photograph. Click UPSCALE to Off and click USE HSV CONVERSION to On. Click LOAD. Skip the SHARPEN stage and just click STENCIL. Turn up your INTENSITY all the way to the right and turn your DETAIL almost all the way to the right. Find your desired value levels and click DONE.

3. LOAD your photograph. Turn UPSCALE and USE HSV CONVERSION to Off. Click LOAD. Save your photo, before doing any edits. This will print well, as a fully rendered 3D value-scale stencil out of most modern stencil printers (See GHOSTLINE’S RECOMMENDED PRINTERS on our FAQ list, below).

4. LOAD your photograph. Turn UPSCALE and USE HSV CONVERSION to On. Click LOAD. Save your photo, before doing any edits. This will print well, as a fully rendered 3D value-scale stencil out of most modern stencil printers.

*NOTE Every photograph and/or piece of artwork is unique, so you’ll want to try inputting different settings for each new stencil. Try each one of the steps, above, to see the difference. Keep trying the process with different set parameters and you’ll end up with your ideal stencil. Practice makes perfect so have fun trying out all of the different options!

HOW DO I GENERATE A LINE-BASED STENCIL?

Some artists prefer a more traditional, line-based stencil. Here are a few ways to generate a great, final line-based stencil:

1. LOAD your photograph on the home page of the app. Click UPSCALE to On and click USE HSV CONVERSION to Off. Click LOAD, then click SHARPEN. Adjust the AMOUNT, incrementally, to slightly sharpen the photo. Click DONE, then click STENCIL. Adjust both the DETAIL and INTENSITY until you get your image to a nice level and click DONE. You can save and export from there and you’re ready to print.

2. LOAD your photograph on the home page of the app. Click UPSCALE to On and click USE HSV CONVERSION to On. Click LOAD, then click SHARPEN. Adjust the AMOUNT, incrementally, to slightly sharpen the photo. Click DONE, then click STENCIL. Adjust both the DETAIL and INTENSITY until you get your image to a nice level and click DONE. You can save and export from there and you’re ready to print.

3. LOAD your photograph on the home page of the app. Click UPSCALE to On and click USE HSV CONVERSION to Off. Click LOAD and skip the Sharpen step. Click STENCIL. Adjust both the DETAIL and INTENSITY until you get your image to a nice level and click DONE. You can save and export from there and you’re ready to print.

*NOTE Every photograph and/or piece of artwork is unique, so you’ll want to try inputting different settings for each new stencil. Try each one of the steps, above, to see the difference. Keep trying the process with different set parameters and you’ll end up with your ideal stencil. Practice makes perfect so have fun trying out all of the different options!

What kind of printer or thermofax should i use with GHOSTLINE? (GHOSTLINE’s RECOMMENDED PRINTERS)

Every artist and studio use different printers, thermal copiers, and thermofaxes to print their final stencils. We’ve tested over a dozen different types and have found the best ones for utilizing the GHOSTLINE app are the modern AIRPRINT- COMPATIBLE ECOTANK ink jet printers that are on the market.

1. AIRPRINT-COMPATIBLE ECOTANK INKJET Printers, with wifi capabilities, are the best option for utilizing GHOSTLINE, and the most cost effective way of printing crispy stencils because they do not require printing on traditional white printer paper nor do they require you to use use expensive, traditional thermal stencil paper. Just purchase a quality AirPrint-compatible eco tank inkjet printer from one of the main printer brands and all you have to do is replace the printer ink reservoir with tattoo inkjet stencil ink and replace traditional white printer paper with individual sheets of transparent tattoo stencil paper (no need for traditional thermal carbon stencil sheets). The printer will then print purple stencil ink (after you replace the ink reservoir) on to the individual sheets of stencil paper and you’re ready to go! Most modern printers are wifi/bluetooth compatible but they print slower than a direct connection. You can print directly from the GHOSTLINE app OR save the stencil file and print it through your preferred software.

2. There are also some really nice, lightweight and portable digital “airprint tattoo stencil printer” options, on the market, that you can use with traditional carbon stencil paper sheets. One brand, in particular, teamed up with tattoo artists to develop an airprint/bluetooth/wifi compatible tattoo stencil printer that you can print directly from your tablet. These are great for traveling for guest spots and tattoo conventions!

3. You can use a traditional thermofax by printing out your stencil on regular printer paper, through a regular printer, and running it through a thermofax/thermal copier (the old school method) but it will print out a bit dark and/or muddy, in most cases, so we recommend investing in a modern inkjet printer and using the other options, mentioned above. Traditional thermofaxes and thermal copiers just can’t differentiate the detail and value that modern printers can.

*NOTE you can see our preferred printing methods in our TUTORIAL VIDEOS.

How do i print my FINAL stencil?

Every artist and studio use different software, tablets, computers & printers to print their final stencils. There are several ways you can print your final stencil, once you are finished generating your stencil on GHOSTLINE. Here are a few ways we recommend printing your stencil:

1. GHOSTLINE developed the industry’s first Print-Scale technology so you can print your newly generated stencil directly from the GHOSTLINE app. Click the PRINT button , then scale your stencil to the size you want.

   A. (SINGLE-PAGE PRINTING)

   Generate your stencil using the GHOSTLINE app and once it is at your desired result; click PRINT. Choose your PAPER size, on the bottom right corner of the screen, to choose your paper size and print orientation. The large, thin rectangle reflects which size of paper and orientation you have chosen. You can Pinch/Zoom your stencil image to adjust the size and placement that your stencil will print out on paper. When you pinch/zoom inward, you will noticed an animated dotted line around your stencil. The exact measurements of your image will appear, in real time, as you adjust the size. If you zoom beyond the boundaries of the paper, your stencil’s printed dimensions are always visible in the DETAIL section, in the lower left corner of the screen. You can adjust the lightness or darkness of your image, by using the scroll bar on the ride side of the screen, to optimize your stencil for printing. You can also click the “<->” icon, on the right side of the screen, to FLIP/MIRROR your image, if your printer automatically prints your stencils backward. Click SEND TO PRINTER (top right), which will pull up your tablet’s “Print Options”. Make sure you choose the correct printer, turn “double-sided” off, and that the paper size matches the settings you picked in GHOSTLINE. Notice the “page preview”, on the left side, to see the scale of how the image will print on the page.

   NOTE* make sure to connect your preferred stencil printer to your tablet before this step. Each inkjet printer company will work a bit differently so you might need to watch their tutorial videos for your specific printer model as to how to set up a wifi/bluetooth connection to your tablet.

   REMEMBER* AirPrint compatible eco tank printers are the best option for utilizing GHOSTLINE.

   B. (LARGE-SCALE PRINTING)

   Generate your stencil using the GHOSTLINE app and once it is at your desired result; click PRINT. Choose your PAPER size, on the bottom right corner of the screen, to choose your paper size and print orientation. The large, thin rectangle reflects which size of paper and orientation you have chosen. You can print really large-scale stencils, by sliding the MULTI-PAGE LAYOUT selector, on the bottom right of the screen. You can keep it on one single page OR slide the selector, to the right, to a 4-page layout, a 9-page layout, or even a 16-page layout. The MULTI-PAGE LAYOUT tool allows you to scale and print your stencil on to whichever layout you choose (you can also preview each piece of paper in Print Options by clicking SEND TO PRINTER). You can Pinch/Zoom your stencil image to adjust the size and placement that your stencil will print out on each piece of paper. When you pinch/zoom inward, you will noticed an animated dotted line around your stencil. The exact measurements of your image, in relation to your chosen paper size, appear in real time, as you adjust the size. If you zoom beyond the boundaries of the paper, your stencil’s printed dimensions are always visible in the DETAIL section, in the lower left corner of the screen. You can adjust the lightness or darkness of your image, by using the scroll bar on the ride side of the screen, to optimize your stencil for printing. You can also click the “<->” icon, on the right side of the screen, to FLIP/MIRROR your image, if your printer automatically prints your stencils backward. Click SEND TO PRINTER (top right), which will pull up your tablet’s “Print Options”. Make sure you choose the correct printer, turn “double-sided” off, and that the paper size matches the settings you picked in GHOSTLINE. Notice the “page preview”, on the left side, to see the scale of how the image will print on each page.

   NOTE* make sure to connect your preferred stencil printer to your tablet before this step. Each inkjet printer company will work a bit differently so you might need to watch their tutorial videos for your specific printer model as to how to set up a wifi/bluetooth connection to your tablet.

   REMEMBER* AirPrint compatible eco tank printers are the best option for utilizing GHOSTLINE.

2. Most modern printer companies have their own app, that you can download for free, and print from their app. If you are using a modern stencil printer (see GHOSTLINE’S RECOMMENDED PRINTERS on our FAQ list, above), download that company’s printing app on to your iPad, and print from that app directly to your printer. Each printing company’s app will work a bit differently than the rest, so you might need to watch their tutorial videos as to how to set it up with your wifi/bluetooth printer and sizing instructions.

   NOTE* you might have to “flip” or “mirror” the stencil file before printing.

3. You can save/export your GHOSTLINE stencil file to your tablet’s photo album and print directly to your favorite bluetooth or wifi printer. Adjust the paper size and print.

   NOTE* you might have to “flip” or “mirror” the stencil file before printing.

4. You can also send your GHOSTLINE stencil file to your Desktop, and print straight to a traditional Printer on to regular printer paper, with normal printer ink. Then you can run that printout through your traditional thermofax or thermal printer. *Note, Most traditional thermal printers and thermofaxes won’t be able to copy or print super detailed stencils as well as a modern ink jet printer. See GHOSTLINE’S RECOMMENDED PRINTERS on our FAQ list, above.

NOTE* you might have to “flip” or “mirror” the stencil file before printing.

NOTE* a direct connection will always print faster and more efficiently than Bluetooth or Wifi connected printers

NOTE* make sure to connect your preferred stencil printer to your tablet before this step. Each inkjet printer company will work a bit differently so you might need to watch their tutorial videos for your specific printer model as to how to set up a wifi/bluetooth connection to your tablet.

HOW DO I resize and scale MY STENCIL for printing?

Every artist has different methods for printing their final stencil. Here are a few ways we recommend sizing and scaling your stencil so it will print out exactly the size you need:

1. A. (SINGLE-PAGE PRINTING)

   Generate your stencil using the GHOSTLINE app and once it is at your desired level; click PRINT. Then click the PAPER icon. Choose your paper size (8.5x11” or 8.5x14”). A transparent colored paper image will come on to the screen that you can drag to any one of the corners of your stencil. If one transparent colored page is big enough, click PRINT to print your stencil at that size. The transparent color paper represents the paper size that you choose and will print exactly what you see within the edges of the transparent colored paper. Click SELECT PRINTER, which will pull up your tablet’s “print options”, so you can print the entire, newly-sized stencil, to the scale you have chosen. Notice the “page preview”, on the side, to see the scale of how the image will print on the page.

   NOTE* make sure to connect your preferred stencil printer to your tablet before this step. Each inkjet printer company will work a bit differently so you might need to watch their tutorial videos for your specific printer model as to how to set up a wifi/bluetooth connection to your tablet.

   B. (LARGE-SCALE PRINTING)

   Generate your stencil using the GHOSTLINE app and once it is at your desired level; click PRINT. Then click the PAPER icon. Choose your paper size (8.5x11” or 8.5x14”). A transparent colored paper image will come on to the screen that you can drag to any one of the corners of your stencil. If you are printing a large-scale stencil, Click the PAPER icon again and drag it over another corner (you can also click the ROTATE PAPER icon so it fits better, in less pages, to avoid waste). The transparent color papers will automatically lock in to place for sizing and printing. Repeat these steps until your entire stencil/image is covered by the transparent colored papers. Each transparent color paper represents the paper size that you choose and will print exactly what you see within the edges of each transparent colored paper. Click SELECT PRINTER, which will pull up your tablet’s “print options”, so you can print the entire, newly-sized stencil, to the scale you have chosen. Notice the “page preview”, on the side, to see the scale of how the image will print on each page.

   NOTE* make sure to connect your preferred stencil printer to your tablet before this step. Each inkjet printer company will work a bit differently so you might need to watch their tutorial videos for your specific printer model as to how to set up a wifi/bluetooth connection to your tablet.

2. Most modern printer companies have their own app, that you can download for free, and print from their app. If you are using a modern stencil printer (see GHOSTLINE’S RECOMMENDED PRINTERS on our FAQ list, above), download that company’s printing app on to your iPad, and print from that app directly to your printer. Each printing company’s app will work a bit differently than the rest, so you might need to watch their tutorial videos as to how to set it up with your wifi/bluetooth printer and sizing instructions.

   NOTE* you might have to “flip” the file before printing.

3. You can save/export your GHOSTLINE stencil file to your tablet’s photo album and print directly to your favorite bluetooth or wifi printer. Adjust the paper size and print.

   NOTE* you might have to “flip” or “mirror” the stencil file before printing.

4. You can also send your GHOSTLINE stencil file to your Desktop, and use other printing software or an image Preview application to print straight to a traditional Printer on to regular printer paper, with normal printer ink. Then you can run that printout through your traditional thermofax or thermal printer. *Note, Most traditional thermal printers and thermofaxes won’t be able to copy or print super detailed stencils as well as a modern ink jet printer. See GHOSTLINE’S RECOMMENDED PRINTERS on our FAQ list, above.

GENERAL NOTES FOR PRINTING:

1. A direct connection will always print faster and more efficiently than Bluetooth or Wifi connected printers

2. Each inkjet printer company will work a bit differently so you might need to watch their tutorial videos for your specific printer model as to how to set up a wifi/bluetooth connection to your tablet.

3. You might have to “flip” or “mirror” the stencil file before printing

MY STENCIL IS WARPING SIZE WHeN I PRINT. HOW DO I FIX WARPING STENCIL?

Your Printer and GHOSTLINE must be set to the same size paper, before printing from the GHOSTLINE app. If you would like to print at 8.5”x11”, make sure your printer settings are set to that paper size and that you are using that paper size in your paper tray. Then, make sure you choose that paper size on GHOSTLINE.

If the paper sizes are not all set exactly the same, and if you do not use that size paper, you will always have some degree of warping when it prints. So just make sure everything is set to the same size and you will not have any problems.

*You can always reset your iPad or Printer for a quick fix.

MY STENCIL ISN’t printing. How do i print from ghostline directly to my printer?

Some printers are a bit tricky and Apple’s IOS has some limitations with some printers. We highly recommend using an EcoTank AIRPRINT-compatible printer, to avoid most issues. Secondly, “monochrome” printers are best and easiest for avoiding issues when it comes to printing directly from GHOSTLINE.

• If you are not using a “monochrome” printer, just make sure you set the Print Options (after clicking SEND + To Printer on the Print page of GHOSTLINE), to “Black & White” to ON and double-sided is set to OFF. Confirm the Paper Size is set to the same size as your printer. Click Media Quality and choose Best.

I PURCHASED a GHostline subsription but it is not working. how do i get back on?

Verify and make sure Ghostline is in your app purchases/subscriptions on your tablet Settings.

Try resetting your iPad and make sure you’re connected to a strong WIFI or cellular reception.

Click RESTORE PURCHASES.

Reset Ghostline and reopen the app.

how do i save my stencil size for future sessions?

You can save your stencil, at any time, when using Ghostline. On the main page, after loading your image, click EXPORT to save your stencil/reference and it will allow you to save it your tablet or send as an email, etc. You can sharpen, stencil, & edit your image and EXPORT (SAVE) any time.

If you have a large stencil that you would like to save, for future sessions; go to the PRINT page of Ghostline, click “SEND TO” (on the top right) and click “PDF” and you can save your resized stencil by choosing “Save to Files” or Save to Dropbox” or email it to yourself, etc. Now, you have a .PDF file of the exact size stencil, that you generated, to print for future sessions.