Free Image to STL (Lithophane)
Image to STL (Lithophane) turns a photo into a 3D-printable lithophane or relief plaque. Choose a flat, curved, cylinder lamp, heart or round shape, set the size and the minimum and maximum thickness in millimetres, adjust brightness, contrast and gamma in a backlit preview, and download a watertight STL or 3MF.
- Shapes:
- Flat, curved, cylinder, heart, round
- Output:
- Watertight STL or 3MF, in mm
- Limit:
- 4 million triangles
- Price:
- Free
- Runs:
- Locally, in your browser
- Uploads:
- None: files never leave your device
- Account:
- Not needed
Quick answers
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The mesh is built in your browser and the photo never leaves your device.
What thickness should I use?
For white PLA, about 0.6-0.8 mm for the brightest areas and 3-4 mm for the darkest works well. Thicker prints need a stronger light.
Processed on your device: your files are never uploaded. How it works
Network activity in this tab
What this page has requested since you opened the site in this tab. An upload is any request that sends data: POST, PUT, PATCH or a request with a body.
No uploads: nothing has been sent from this page.
No network requests yet.
To see every request, open your browser's developer tools (Network tab).
How to use the Image to STL (Lithophane)
- Drop a photo: portraits and pictures with good contrast work best.
- Pick the shape (flat, curved, cylinder lamp, heart or round), the size in millimetres and the minimum and maximum thickness.
- Adjust brightness, contrast, gamma and smoothing while watching the backlit preview.
- Download the STL or 3MF and print it in white PLA at 100% infill.
Credits & open source
Built from scratch on web standards. Thank you to the people who make these projects.
- three.js3D rendering engine and model loaders (glTF, STL, OBJ, FBX, 3MF, PLY). © three.js authors (Ricardo Cabello and contributors) · MIT
- fflateFast ZIP compression for batch downloads. © Arjun Barrett · MIT
Web platform APIs used: Canvas 2D, createImageBitmap, WebGL, File API, localStorage.
Full license texts: third-party notices · all credits
Frequently asked questions
What does the resolution do?
It is the size of one height step in millimetres. 0.2 mm matches a 0.4 mm nozzle well; smaller steps add detail but make much larger files.
What is relief mode?
Instead of a light-transmitting lithophane, relief mode makes an embossed plaque where light areas (or dark areas, if you choose) are raised above a base.
How do I print a cylinder lamp?
Choose Cylinder, set the circumference so the inside fits your light, and print standing up. The frame bands at the top and bottom add strength.