FAQ
Questions, answered.
What kind of photo works best?
One clear subject that fills most of the square crop: a face, a pet, a character, a flower, or a simple logo you have the right to use. Bright, even light and a plain background help. Group photos, tiny faces, and busy scenes usually lose too much detail to carve.
What do I get?
Your pattern as a print-ready PDF for US Letter and A4 paper, plus SVG and PNG files and a ZIP of everything. The PDF prints at its checked physical size and includes a 50 mm calibration bar so you can check the scale. You can request another available size for an unlocked design at no extra cost; we remake and check it at that size.
Can't I just ask AI to make a pumpkin stencil?
AI can draw something that looks like a stencil, but it usually comes out backwards: the parts you cut glow, so dark hair ends up bright and a lit face goes dark. CarveKin draws your design the way it will look lit, so the light parts of your photo glow, and makes a few versions so you can pick your favourite. A stencil also has to be carvable: pieces can float free with nothing holding them, bridges can be too thin to survive, and fine details can vanish at print size. CarveKin fixes those problems in the actual pattern. It adds bridges to hold loose pieces, widens parts that are too thin, and clears away details too small to cut, keeping each change as small as it can. It also screens the pattern's structure with gravity in mind: if a face or another large area would hang from too little pumpkin and sag or break off, it adds supporting ribs, and it splits one huge cut into a few easier pieces. Then it checks the result at your print size. If a design can't be fixed without losing too much of it, we try again with a fresh drawing, and if that doesn't work either, we tell you instead of selling it. A real pumpkin can still vary, so look over your pattern before carving.
How much does it cost?
One pattern is $4.99. The Family pack is five patterns for $9.99, one for everyone at carving night; it needs a free account so your remaining credits stay safe. There is no subscription. Any sales tax is shown by Stripe before you pay.
Do I need an account?
No. You can buy a single pattern as a guest and get your files by email. An account is only required for the Family pack, and it lets you keep your patterns and unused credits across devices.
What if my photo doesn't make a good pattern?
Every pattern is repaired where it needs it and checked before you receive it. If we can't make a carvable pattern from your photo, your credit is not used: try a tighter crop or another photo, up to six attempts per credit. If it still doesn't work, we'll refund you.
What if the pattern doesn't look like my photo?
Carving patterns simplify a photo into shapes that can be cut, so they won't match every detail. We make a few designs and you pick the one that looks most like your subject. If none of them do, pass on them and try again without using your credit, or contact us from the pattern page and we'll make it right with a refund.
How big is the pattern? Will it fit my pumpkin?
Choose Small (130 mm), Medium (180 mm), Large (240 mm), Extra large (300 mm), or a custom size from 120–350 mm. The size includes the white margin. Measure the flattest side of your pumpkin and allow at least an inch around the pattern. Larger sizes print across numbered Letter or A4 pages that you tape together. After unlocking, you can request another available size for free; each is remade and checked at its own size.
What do Easy, Standard, and Challenging mean?
They control how fine the details can be. Easy uses fewer, wider shapes. Standard keeps more of your photo. Challenging allows the finest details and takes the most patience. If a design only works at a more detailed level, we tell you before you use your credit.
Will my pumpkin carve exactly like the pattern?
We fix and then check the drawing at your printed size: every piece you keep connects to the rest of the pattern, and no cut detail is too narrow to saw. These are checks on the drawing, not on a real pumpkin. Pumpkins vary in thickness and firmness, so we can't promise how yours will carve. A thinner carving wall and a small serrated saw help a lot.
I'm on my phone. How do I print?
Download the PDF and print it from your phone, or open your pattern on a computer. Your purchase email links back to your files, and a free account keeps them in one place. Always print at 100% or "Actual size", not "Fit to page".
Is my photo private?
Yes. Your photo is never shown publicly. We send only your cropped photo to our image provider to create the design, and we delete the original and working images after 24 hours. You can delete a finished pattern at any time.
Can I use a photo of someone else, or a cartoon character?
Only use photos you took or have permission to use. Patterns of family, friends, and pets are what CarveKin is for. Characters and logos may belong to someone else, so keep those patterns for your own porch.
Can I use my pattern for other crafts?
Yes. Every piece you keep is connected, so the pattern works as a stencil for painting, T-shirts, vinyl decals, cakes, and window art. Use the SVG with cutting machines like Cricut, or print the PDF and cut it by hand. Patterns are for your own personal use.
Do credits expire?
No. Unused credits stay in your account until you use them.
How do I get help or a refund?
Use the help link on your pattern page, or email support with your order reference. Please don't email your photo; we can find your order without it.
Still stuck? Contact us.