PNG

PNG is a lossless raster format with 8-bit alpha transparency, offering crisp edges and no artifacts. It is the preferred input for converting contour images into 3D models, avoiding color blocks along edges compared to JPG. Black-and-white height maps or transparent silhouettes yield cleaner meshes.

PNG files are larger than JPG of same dimensions and lack CMYK support. For 3D conversion, use 16-bit grayscale height maps to preserve terrain details; this site supports up to 4096x4096 resolution. Transparent backgrounds are auto-detected, no manual masking needed.