Turn JPG photos into raised 2.5D reliefs on a flat base. Adjust depth and contrast, inspect the model and download an STL without uploading your photo.
Brighter pixels rise above a flat base. This is a 2.5D relief, not a full 3D reconstruction.
A real conversion made with this tool. Your model will appear here after generation.
Example size: 90.0 × 90.0 × 4.1 mm
Choose an image → Set size → Generate → Download STL
STL coordinates are in mm. No colors or textures. Review walls and orientation in your slicer before printing.
Original inputs, actual generated meshes and downloadable STL files. These are digital previews, not photographs of printed objects.
Land, ocean and the photographic background become height values; no background is automatically removed.
Width (mm): 90 · Resolution: 128 · Base thickness (mm): 1.6 · Relief depth (mm): 2.5 · Contrast: 1.2
90.00 × 90.00 × 4.10 mm · 65,532 triangles · 1 closed shell
NASA/JPL-Caltech · Blue Marble, PIA18033. Source. No endorsement implied.
This project-authored illustration separates broad tones. The rectangular base includes the entire JPG.
Width (mm): 90 · Resolution: 128 · Base thickness (mm): 1.6 · Relief depth (mm): 2.5 · Contrast: 1.2
90.00 × 67.50 × 4.10 mm · 49,148 triangles · 1 closed shell
A JPG photograph has color and brightness but no alpha channel. In Relief mode, its brightness is sampled onto a surface above a flat rectangular base. The full photograph participates, including the backdrop. Clouds, faces and dark shadows become changes in surface height rather than independent three-dimensional objects. Choose a photograph with useful light and dark separation instead of expecting the file extension alone to describe depth.
The default here is 90 mm wide, with a 1.6 mm base and up to 2.5 mm of additional relief. The NASA Earth photograph and the project-authored mountain illustration show how detailed photographic texture differs from broad tonal regions. The mountain source is an illustration saved as JPG, not a photograph of a printed model. Both results come from the same browser pipeline and can be downloaded with their exact example parameters.
Contrast changes how strongly the sampled tones spread across the available height range. Raising it can emphasize transitions but can also flatten already bright or dark regions. Smoothing can reduce fine JPEG artifacts that otherwise become small bumps. A larger grid supplies more triangles, not recovered camera detail or an unseen rear surface. For a pure cutout, prepare a transparent PNG or SVG rather than relying on a photo background to disappear.
| Control | Starting point | What to inspect |
|---|---|---|
| Width / base | 90 mm / 1.6 mm | Width sets the rectangular footprint and source aspect ratio sets height. The base remains a separate positive Z dimension. |
| Relief depth | 2.5 mm | Controls the extra height range above the base. Low contrast sources may not reach both endpoints. |
| Contrast | 1.2 initially | The same Earth input is also generated at contrast 2 below. Compare the changed surface and volume rather than assuming stronger contrast is always better. |
| Smoothing / resolution | 0 / 256 initially | Use smoothing to reduce fine tonal changes. The reproducible gallery examples use grid 128 to keep their downloads modest. |
Contrast changes the height distribution; it does not recover missing photographic detail. Both files use the same input and recorded settings; the single change is shown below.
| Recorded STL result | Baseline | One parameter changed |
|---|---|---|
| Bounds | 90.00 × 90.00 × 4.10 mm | 90.00 × 90.00 × 4.10 mm |
| Triangles / shells | 65,532 / 1 | 65,532 / 1 |
| Volume | 18550.6 mm³ | 18450.2 mm³ |
| Download for inspection | Baseline STL | Comparison STL |
Closed geometry and dimensions were checked after download. These measurements describe these files; they are not a printability guarantee.
STL stores triangles without units, colors or textures. This tool writes coordinates intended as millimeters. Closed-mesh validation checks finite coordinates, oriented shared edges and positive volume; it does not certify your printer, material or every thin feature.
JavaScript and Web Workers are needed for conversion. WebGL enables the interactive preview; if preview initialization fails, an already validated STL can still be downloaded.
The V1 baseline fixture relief-earth produced actual layered G-code in both slicers. Across the four modes, eight baseline STL files were checked in Bambu Studio and PrusaSlicer. Their recorded files and hashes are retained.
These are baseline slicing checks, not tests of every gallery parameter variation or physical print. Open your own downloaded model, check dimensions and thin features, and choose settings for your printer.
Recorded baseline results
No automatic background removal is included. Relief includes the rectangular photo; Silhouette uses a brightness threshold. For a clean cutout, prepare a transparent PNG or closed SVG.
They can become small height changes. Smoothing reduces fine variations, and a lower grid resolution can reduce tiny details.
No. A portrait becomes a shallow brightness-based surface, not a complete head with reconstructed sides and back. Choose a workflow designed for full three-dimensional modeling if that is your goal.
Relief is viewed by reflected light and puts brighter values higher. Lithophane is viewed through a light source and usually makes darker values thicker. They require different thickness choices and produce different objects.
Files stay on your device. Desktop: up to 20 MB / 8 million pixels. Touch phones: 10 MB / 4 million pixels. SVG: 1 MB with bounded complexity. PNG, JPG, WebP and prepared SVG only. Use original or permitted artwork; model conversion does not grant image or trademark rights.
