Image to STL Converter

Convert images in the browser into printable STL files, as a relief, raised logo or lithophane, with millimeter dimensions and print tips.

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Image to STL Converter: turn a photo into a printable model

This Image to STL Converter turns brightness into material height. Choose a relief, a raised logo on a rectangular base plate or a lithophane for backlighting. Load a PNG, JPEG or WebP image, set the width in millimeters and generate an STL file. The model keeps the image aspect ratio. Your slicer handles orientation, layers and the printer profile.

How it works

For reliefs, black means base only and white adds the full relief height. A uniformly half-bright image with 2 mm relief height and a 1 mm base therefore produces a 2 mm thick plate: 0.5 times 2 plus 1. A grid of three by three sample points uses 32 triangles across its top, bottom and closed sides. Matching subdivisions on the bottom avoid unmatched mesh edges.

Logo mode applies a 50 percent brightness threshold. Invert swaps bright and dark regions. Smoothing averages neighboring samples once. Lithophanes reverse the mapping: dark regions become thicker. Height means maximum total thickness, without a separate base. Thin regions use 0.8 mm, or the total thickness when smaller, with a minimum setting of 0.5 mm.

What the tool can and cannot do

The grid contains at most 200 by 200 samples. Export produces closed binary STL geometry, without colors or a 3D preview. A portrait does not become a sculpted bust. Transparency counts as white, so check inversion for logos with transparent backgrounds.

Lines below 0.4 mm may not print with a 0.4 mm nozzle. Features smaller than the layer height can disappear too. Low-contrast photographs need preparation. Use Image Filters for contrast and Image Resizer for cropping. Inspect the slicer layer preview before printing.

Why processing stays in your browser

FileReader and Canvas read pixels on your device, without uploads or a conversion service. The tool does not save pictures in browser storage. The downloaded STL remains as an ordinary file. Conversion can continue offline while the loaded page stays open.

Ways to use the model

Rough guidelines, not a quotation or cost calculation: an 8 g keychain uses about 16 euro cents of material at 20 euros per kilogram of filament. Running at 100 W for 25 minutes costs about 1.5 cents at 0.35 euros per kWh. A key ring can add 5 to 20 cents. Failed prints and machine wear are not included.

A small contribution to climate protection

The figure of 1.76 g CO2 per page view is a historical comparison, not a measurement of this website. The IEA estimates around 415 TWh of data center electricity consumption in 2024. Local processing avoids repeated server round trips. This does not establish a specific CO2 saving per conversion. Printing the model still consumes material and electricity.

Frequently asked questions

Which images work best?

Choose high-contrast photos for reliefs and clear black-and-white designs for logos. Tiny lettering or thin lines may disappear during printing.

How does a lithophane differ from a relief?

Reliefs raise bright regions. Lithophanes thicken dark regions so that light from behind reveals the photograph.

How large is the key ring hole?

Logo mode offers a polygonal approximation of a 4 mm hole at the upper left with a 3 mm rim. The plate needs at least 10 by 10 mm.

Do I need an internet connection?

Only to load the page. A fully loaded page can keep converting without a network connection.

Does my picture leave the browser?

No. Processing stays on your device. The image is not uploaded to a server.

Can I print the STL immediately?

The file contains the model. Import it as millimeters in your slicer, inspect the layers and generate printer-specific code.