Free image to STL converter
PNG and JPG to STL, reliefs and lithophanes

Drop a PNG, JPG or any picture and get a 3D-printable STL: the brightness of the image becomes height, as a relief or as a lithophane that shows the picture when light shines through it.

Set the size in millimetres, see it in 3D, then save it as STL or OBJ. The image never leaves your computer.

Drop an image here or choose an image. PNG, JPG, WebP or GIF. Dark areas become raised.

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Free, no sign-up. Your image stays on your computer. The 3D file is made in this browser tab and the image is never uploaded to us or anyone else.

PNG, JPG, WebP and GIF to STL or OBJ
Reliefs and lithophanes, sized in millimetres
Watertight and ready for the slicer

How it works

How to convert an image to STL

3 steps, and the image never leaves your computer.

1. Drop an image

PNG, JPG, WebP or GIF. A logo, a drawing, a map or a photo with clear contrast works best. The 3D preview appears straight away.

2. Set the size

Choose the width in millimetres, the relief height, the base thickness and the detail. Tick Raise the light areas for a relief where white is high.

3. Save STL or OBJ

Download the mesh as binary STL for the slicer, or as OBJ for Blender and other 3D programs. It is a closed solid, so it slices without repairs.

What to make

Lithophanes, reliefs, maps and stamps

The settings that work for each kind of print.

Lithophanes

Leave Raise the light areas off: dark parts become thick and light parts thin, so the photo appears when a lamp shines through the print. Print upright in white PLA, with 100% infill, at 0.1 to 0.12 mm layers.

Reliefs, signs and logos

Tick Raise the light areas for a raised logo on a dark background, or leave it off for dark lettering that stands up. A base of 1 to 2 mm keeps it stiff.

Terrain and maps

A greyscale height map, where white is high, becomes a terrain model. Tick Raise the light areas and set the relief height to the vertical scale you want.

Textures and stamps

Patterns and textures become tiles, cookie stamps and embossing plates. For a stamp, mirror the image first so the print reads the right way round.

When a relief is not enough

Need a real 3D model?

We build 3D models of products, furniture and buildings from photos, sketches and drawings, for renders, animation and 3D printing.

3D modeling

Clean 3D models from photos, drawings or a rough mesh.

See 3D modeling

3D product rendering

Photoreal images of your product for web shops and catalogues.

See product rendering

Architectural visualization

Photoreal images of buildings and interiors for sales and planning.

See architectural visualization

Image to STL FAQ

Questions about converting images to STL

Lithophanes, sizes, file formats and what the converter makes.

Ask us a question

Can it turn a photo of an object into a full 3D model?

No. It reads the brightness of each pixel as a height, so it makes a relief or a lithophane: a flat plate with the picture raised or recessed. A full 3D model of the object in a photo needs 3D modeling or photogrammetry.

How do I make a lithophane?

Drop the photo, leave Raise the light areas off, set the width, a relief height of about 2.5 to 3 mm and a base of 0.6 to 0.8 mm, and use a high detail. Print it upright in white PLA with 100% infill.

What is the difference between the STL and the OBJ?

They hold the same closed mesh. STL is what slicers such as Cura, PrusaSlicer and Bambu Studio expect; OBJ opens in Blender, 3ds Max and most 3D programs. Both are in millimetres.

How detailed can the STL be?

Up to 400 points across the width. More detail means a bigger file: at 400 points a square image makes about 320,000 triangles, which any slicer handles.

Is my image uploaded?

No. The image is read and the mesh is built in this browser tab on your own computer. It is free, with no sign-up and no limit.

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