Why choose 3MF over STL?
3MF carries color and material information, making it more suitable for color 3D printing and modern slicer preview; STL is geometry only. Prefer 3MF for color badges and photo reliefs.
Image to 3MF Converter
Turn photos & logos into full-color 3MF: ideal for color-printed badges, reliefs, and light panels.
Workspace
Drop files here
or click to browse, paste supported
About This Tool
Convert images to color 3D printable models. 3MF preserves color, making it better than STL for color printing. Use Outline Extrude mode for stamps and logos, or heightmap for photo reliefs and light panels. Adjust detail settings, then download for slicing.
How to Use
- 01
Upload your image
Drag in an image: PNG, JPG, SVG, and WebP are supported.
- 02
Pick a mode and adjust detail
Use contour for logos/stamps or heightmap for reliefs and light panels; tune the detail level.
- 03
Download the color 3MF
Download the 3MF: color is retained for color printing, and you can preview it in any slicer.
Frequently Asked Questions
View all FAQsWhat uses does image-to-3D print support?
Outline Extrude mode for stamps, logos, nameplates; heightmap for photo reliefs and light panels. Output 3MF allows viewing colors in slicer before printing.
How are transparent backgrounds handled?
Transparent areas typically generate no geometry (cutouts), suitable for transparent PNG stamps and silhouettes. In heightmap mode, the model is built based on brightness, so transparency handling depends on the preview. To keep the full outline, fill the background with a solid color before conversion.
How to balance detail and file size?
Higher resolution retains more detail but increases polygon count and file size. Try a medium resolution first, then adjust based on the result. If the model is slow in your slicer, reduce the resolution or compress the source image.
Do I need a color or multi-material printer to use the 3MF?
No. The 3MF slices and prints on any 3D printer; setups without color support simply ignore the embedded colors. For actual multi-color output you need a color-capable machine (multi-material extruder or full-color printer), and most slicers show the color preview regardless.
Why do fine details disappear in my 3MF model?
The conversion samples the source image, so small text, thin lines, and low-resolution or heavily compressed images lose detail. Use a clean, high-resolution source; in Outline Extrude mode raise the Detail setting, and in heightmap mode adjust the resolution and smooth controls to refine the surface.
About Configuration Options
Conversion Mode
| Option | What it does | Default / range |
|---|---|---|
Conversion Mode | Select how the image should be converted into 3D geometry.
| Outline Extrude |
Size
| Option | What it does | Default / range |
|---|---|---|
Width (X) | Final model width, including the base. With the aspect ratio locked, the length follows the shape's proportions and does not change with Detail. | 100mm10mm – 500mm |
Length (Y) | Locked to the width by the shape's aspect ratio. Editing it rescales the width. | |
Lock Aspect Ratio | When on, the height follows the width using the shape's proportions. Turn off to set width and height separately (the model is stretched). | on |
Background
| Option | What it does | Default / range |
|---|---|---|
Background | By Brightness: transparent areas of a PNG are the background; opaque images are split by Threshold. Remove by Color: transparent areas plus pixels close to any picked color are removed. Keep Background: nothing is removed. By Brightness · Remove by Color · Keep Background | By Brightness |
Background Colors | Pixels close to any of these colors are removed. Add a second color for gray-and-white checkerboards or two-tone backgrounds (up to 4). | #ffffff |
Tolerance | Higher values also remove colors further from the picked ones. Raise it if a colored fringe remains or the background is uneven. | 150 – 100 |
Transparent Fill | Fill transparent areas with this color and keep the whole image. White · Black | White |
Outline Extrude Settings
| Option | What it does | Default / range |
|---|---|---|
Threshold | Brightness cut-off (0-255) between dark and light. Higher values count more (lighter) pixels as dark; lower values keep only the darkest pixels. | 1280 – 255 |
Extrude Height | The thickness of the extruded geometry in millimeters. Controls how tall the final 3D model will be. | 101 – 100 · step 0.1 |
Edge Rounding | Rounds the top edge of the outline. The value is the radius; 0 keeps a sharp edge. | 0.50 – 5 · step 0.1 |
Rounding Segments | The number of segments used to create the bevel curve. More segments produce smoother bevels at the cost of more geometry. | 31 – 8 |
Keep Sharp Corners | Corners that turn more than this angle stay sharp and are not smoothed. Lower values keep more corners sharp. | 375 – 90 |
Detail | Controls the resolution of the generated mesh. Higher quality produces smoother surfaces but larger file sizes. | 10.1 – 2 · step 0.1 |
Base | Adds a solid base under the shape. Rectangle follows the bounding box; Follow Outline follows the shape's outline. None · Rectangle · Follow Outline · Circle | None |
Base Thickness | Thickness of the base under the shape. | 2mm0.5mm – 10mm · step 0.1mm |
Base Margin | How far the base extends beyond the shape on each side. | 3mm0mm – 20mm · step 0.1mm |
Base Segments | Smoothness of the circular base and of rounded corners on the outline base. More segments are smoother but make a larger file. | 6416 – 256 |
Base Color | Only for 3MF export: color of the base part. | #e1e1e1 |
Extract | Choose whether the dark or the light parts of the image become solid. Pick Light Parts when the subject is lighter than the background. Dark Parts · Light Parts | Dark Parts |
Cleanup
| Option | What it does | Default / range |
|---|---|---|
Max Colors | Maximum number of colors kept after merging similar shades. Each color becomes its own shape, which affects how the model is split (STL too) and the parts of a multi-color 3MF. | 121 – 16 |
Ignore Small Specks | Spots and holes smaller than this area are ignored. Raise it for noisy scans; lower it to keep tiny details. | 150 – 200 |
Outline Simplification | Higher values give simpler edges and fewer triangles; 0 (default) follows the image exactly. | 00 – 4 · step 0.05 |
Heightmap Settings
| Option | What it does | Default / range |
|---|---|---|
Relief Height | The maximum height of the raised areas in millimeters. Controls the overall relief depth. | 50.5 – 20 · step 0.1 |
Minimum Base Thickness | Thickness at the lowest point of the relief; thicker is sturdier. In By Brightness mode, transparent areas of a PNG count as background and sit at this thickness. | 10 – 5 · step 0.1 |
Smoothing | Applies smoothing to the heightmap surface to reduce noise and stair-stepping artifacts. Higher values produce smoother surfaces. | 20 – 10 |
Detail | Controls the detail level of the generated mesh. Higher resolution preserves more image detail but increases file size. | 400100 – 400 · step 50 |
Cut Out Subject | Background areas are left out: only the subject is printed, with sides following its outline. Turn off to keep the full rectangular base. | on |
Raise By | Dark Raised suits black-and-white logos and photo reliefs; Light Raised is the opposite; Vivid Raised lifts colorful areas while white, gray and black stay flat; Custom per Color sets a height for each color. Dark Raised · Light Raised · Vivid Raised · Custom per Color | Dark Raised |
Color Heights | Set a height for each main color. Pixels use the closest color. | |
Edge Rounding | Rounds the top edge of the subject's sides; 0 keeps a sharp edge. The outline grows outward by about the radius. | 0.50 – 3 · step 0.1 |
Bottom Rounding | Rounds the bottom edge of the subject's sides; 0 keeps a sharp edge (default). The footprint stays on the outline; the upper shape grows outward by about the radius. | 00 – 3 · step 0.1 |
Rounding Segments | More segments give a smoother curve. | 31 – 10 |
Format Information
Input format
- Extension:
- Image
- Full Name:
- Image File
- Type:
- Image
- Format:
- PNG / JPG / JPEG / SVG / WebP
- Open With:
- Image Editor、Windows Photos、Preview (Mac)、Vector Editor、Web Browser、Inkscape
- Description:
- Any supported image format including PNG, JPG, JPEG, SVG, and WebP. The tool automatically detects the format and applies the appropriate conversion settings.
Supported Features:
- Supports PNG, JPG, JPEG, SVG, and WebP formats
- Automatic format detection
- Transparency support for PNG and WebP
Output format
- Extension:
- 3mf
- Full Name:
- 3D Manufacturing Format
- Type:
- 3D Model
- Format:
- 3MF
- Open With:
- Windows 3D Viewer、3MF Viewer Online、Blender、3D Model Viewer
- Description:
- 3MF is a modern 3D printing format from the 3MF Consortium, based on XML and packaged as a ZIP container. It preserves mesh data and supports per-part color, material, texture, and print properties. It is recommended for multi-color and multi-material printing. Major slicers (Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer) have native support. Compared to STL, 3MF carries richer information but is more complex. Some older slicers and printers may not recognize it. When converting from other formats, color and material mapping depend on source data. For simple single-color printing, STL remains sufficient. For multi-color, multi-material, or print parameter transfer, choose 3MF.
Notes:
- Some older slicers and printers may not support 3MF
- More complex than STL but carries richer information
Supported Features:
- Per-part and per-vertex color support
- Material and texture preservation
- XML-based with ZIP compression
- Native support in Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer