What Is Bas-Relief? Low Relief for CNC and Laser
Definition
Bas-relief, or low relief, is a sculpture that projects only slightly from a flat background, compressing a subject's depth while keeping its outline and detail. Coins, medals, plaques and most CNC and laser relief carvings are bas-reliefs.
Also called: low relief, relief carving, relief sculpture.
A bas-relief keeps the look of a full sculpture while using very little depth. The eye reads shape from the shading on the surface, so a few millimetres of relief can suggest a whole face.
From photo to bas-relief
A depth map is a bas-relief in image form. Generate one with the depth map generator, then carve it on a CNC (guide), engrave it with 3D Sliced, or print it with the image to STL tool. Coins are the hardest case, because a camera sees them as flat; DepthGen Pro has a dedicated Coin / Relief mode for them.
Questions
What is the difference between bas-relief and high relief?
Bas-relief projects only a little from the background. High relief projects more than half the subject's natural depth, with parts that may be undercut.
Can I make a bas-relief from a photo?
Yes. Convert the photo to a depth map, compress its depth to a few millimetres, and carve, engrave or print it.