Guides for people who make things.
Depth maps, lithophanes, filament painting, file formats and laser setup. Tested, sourced and kept up to date.
Depth maps
The Best Depth Map Generators in 2026, Free and Paid
Seven depth map generators for laser engraving, CNC and 3D printing, compared on price, privacy, offline use, export formats and coins and portraits.
September 21, 2026 4 min read
Depth maps
Free Depth Map Generator for Laser Engraving, CNC and 3D Printing
Three free ways to turn a photo into a depth map for laser engraving, CNC and 3D printing: an AI generator in your browser, a free Windows app, and more.
September 21, 2026 3 min read
Laser and CNC
Best AI Tools for Laser Engraving in 2026, by Job
The best AI tools for laser engraving and cutting, grouped by job: artwork, text, vectors, photo prep, depth maps and all-in-one apps, with their limits.
September 21, 2026 3 min read
3D printing
The Best STL Viewers for Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone (2026)
Free ways to open STL, OBJ and 3MF files in 2026 now that Microsoft 3D Viewer is gone: browser viewers, slicers, MeshLab, Blender and apps for phones.
September 21, 2026 3 min read
Depth maps
How to Make a Depth Map From a Photo (AI and Manual Methods)
How to make a depth map from a photo for laser engraving, CNC and 3D printing: AI estimation, phone depth, hand painting, and checking it before you cut.
September 21, 2026 3 min read
Laser and CNC
Depth Maps for CNC Relief Carving: From Photo to Toolpath
How to prepare a depth map for CNC relief carving: resolution, depth, background, PNG or STL, roughing and finishing tools, stepover and common mistakes.
September 21, 2026 3 min read
HueForge and lithophanes
Filapaint and Other Free HueForge Alternatives: What Works in 2026
Free ways to make HueForge-style filament paintings: Filapaint in the browser, the Depthue filament painting planner, and when a paid tool is worth it.
September 21, 2026 3 min read
HueForge and lithophanes
How to Make a Lithophane From a Photo (Settings That Work)
How to make a lithophane from a photo: image choice, thickness, size, flat or curved panels, slicer settings for white PLA, and fixing flat or dark prints.
September 21, 2026 2 min read
3D printing
How to Convert 3MF to STL: 4 Free Ways (No Upload Needed)
Convert 3MF to STL with a free in-browser converter, Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer, Cura or Blender, and what STL keeps from multi-object plates.
September 21, 2026 2 min read
Depth maps
16-Bit vs 8-Bit Depth Maps for LightBurn 3D Sliced Engraving
When a 16-bit depth map improves a LightBurn 3D Sliced engraving, when 8-bit is enough, how passes relate to gray levels, and how to check a file's bit depth.
September 21, 2026 3 min read
3D printing
How to Make a 3D Model From a Single Image With AI (2026)
Turn one image into a printable 3D model with AI: preparing the image, Hunyuan3D vs Meshy vs Tripo, licensing, and making the mesh watertight for printing.
September 21, 2026 2 min read
HueForge and lithophanes
How to Plan Color Swap Heights for Filament Painting
Where to change filament in a HueForge-style painting: layer math, transmission distance, swap order, and adding color changes in Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer.
September 21, 2026 2 min read
3D printing
The Best SLS 3D Printers in 2026 for Small Businesses and Labs
SLS 3D printers explained for makers moving up from FDM or resin: Formlabs Fuse 1+ 30W, Sinterit Lisa X, Sintratec S3, EOS Formiga P 110, and print services.
September 21, 2026 2 min read
Laser and CNC
Laser Kerf Explained: Measure It and Set the Offset in LightBurn
What laser kerf is, why press-fit joints come out loose, how to measure kerf with one test cut, and how to set the kerf offset in LightBurn.
September 21, 2026 2 min read
Laser and CNC
AI Prompts for Laser Engraving, Cutting and CNC That Actually Work
AI prompt formulas for laser engraving and CNC: cut silhouettes, line art, photo engravings, depth map reliefs and lithophanes, for Midjourney and ChatGPT.
September 21, 2026 2 min read
Laser and CNC
Laser Power and Speed Settings by Material: A Starting-Point Guide
Starting power and speed settings for diode, CO2 and fiber lasers on wood, MDF, acrylic, leather, slate and metal, and the test grid that dials them in.
September 21, 2026 2 min read
Laser and CNC
Free Halloween Lantern Laser Cut Files (SVG, EPS, PDF) for 3 mm Wood
Free laser-cut Halloween lantern for 3 mm plywood or MDF: bats, a witch, a black cat and a haunted house in SVG, EPS and PDF, with settings and assembly.
September 21, 2026 2 min read
Laser and CNC
xTool AImake: What It Does for Laser and Craft Files (2026)
xTool AImake review: how it works inside xTool Studio, what it does well, where it falls short, how credits work, and how it compares with other AI tools.
September 21, 2026 2 min read