05 / PICTURE INTO FORM
Turn light and shade into a solid relief, or make a flat two-tone logo.
Original sample: Mountain light
Dark pixels create higher relief unless inverted. Threshold mode makes a flat logo on a base.
This generated model has not been physically test-printed. Inspect fit and thin details in your slicer.
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3MF keeps named parts aligned. It does not include filament assignments or printer settings. Choose a file format →
Open the file in your slicer, check the scale and thin details, then choose settings for your printer and material.
FROM PREVIEW TO PRINT
Convert a picture into a raised relief or a flat two-tone logo. Relief mode treats brightness as height above a base. Threshold mode separates light and dark regions to make a simpler raised design. Neither mode guesses the unseen sides of an object: a photograph of a cup becomes a surface relief, not a complete cup model. Your image is processed locally in the browser.
Choose the conversion mode according to how the finished object will be viewed. A shaded portrait often suits relief, while a crisp silhouette is easier to evaluate in threshold mode. In either case, work from a copy of the source and retain the original. Increasing relief height exaggerates noise as well as useful detail. If the background rises above the subject, test inversion and inspect the result before export. The width control preserves the image proportions rather than forcing a square. For repeat work, record the crop, mode and dimensions together. The tool does not insert hanging hardware or calculate how a plaque should be mounted.
These are model settings to test, not a validated printer profile. Check the result with your own material, nozzle and slicer.
| Setting | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 80 mm | Keeps a first relief small enough to inspect and test. |
| Base thickness | 2 mm | Provides a continuous backing under the raised surface. |
| Maximum relief height | 4 mm | Gives a visible height range without extreme vertical changes. |
| Smoothing | 1 pass | Reduces small pixel peaks; extra smoothing can remove fine detail. |
Use a cleaner source image, reduce contrast artifacts or add smoothing. Compression noise can become real geometry.
Adjust threshold, increase the output size, or simplify the artwork. Thresholding cannot recover detail absent from the source.
No. This is deterministic heightmap and threshold conversion, with no reconstruction of hidden surfaces.
No. A relief is viewed by its raised surface; a lithophane is viewed with light transmitted through varying thickness. Use the dedicated lithophane maker for backlit pictures.
STL stores the combined geometry. 3MF preserves named parts in an aligned assembly; assign filaments in your slicer. Neither file reproduces photo colours or supplies printer settings.
Large meshes can use substantial memory. Start small, close unused tabs and reduce the complexity of the source.