PNG to STL converter

To convert a PNG to STL, the image is traced into outlines and every outline is extruded to the height you choose. Drop a PNG or JPG above, check the traced outline over your image, set the size in millimetres and download a watertight STL. This works for logos, silhouettes, stickers and line drawings; for photos, make a lithophane or a relief instead.

Two meanings of PNG to STL

Getting a clean trace

• Start big and sharp. 1000 px across or more gives smooth curves. Screenshots of a logo on a website are often too small.
• Transparent backgrounds are easiest. When the image has transparency, the shape comes straight from the alpha channel, with no threshold to tune.
• Otherwise, use contrast. In single-colour mode, pixels darker than the threshold become solid. It starts at an automatic value (Otsu's method); drag it until the outline hugs the edges, and use Invert for light art on a dark background.
• Remove specks deletes islands and pin holes smaller than the size you set, which cleans up JPG noise.
• Smoothing softens stair steps before tracing, and Simplify removes points that do not change the shape, so the STL stays light.

The 2D view draws the traced outline in amber over your image, so you can see exactly what will be printed before you switch to 3D.

Colour separation for multicolour prints

Set Colours to 2 to 6 and the image is split into that many colour groups, measured on how colours look rather than raw RGB values, then cleaned of the one-pixel fringes that anti-aliasing leaves between colours. Every pixel belongs to exactly one part, so the parts never overlap. On an image without transparency, the colour that fills the border is marked as the background and left out; tick it back in if you want it.

Each part can have its own height. Download the 3MF to get one object per colour for Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer or PrusaSlicer, or the STL per part zip for anything else.

PNG to SVG for lasers and cutters

The SVG outline download is the same trace as a vector file at real size in millimetres, one filled path per colour, plus the base outline if you added one. It is a quick way to vectorise a logo for a laser cutter. For CAD or CNC software that wants DXF, run it through the SVG to DXF converter.

Other ways to do it

Most 3D tools do not import PNG files directly. The Tinkercad help center says it supports vector files like SVG and does not import JPG, PNG or GIF. The usual route is to vectorise first: in Inkscape, File, Import the picture, then Path, Trace Bitmap (Shift+Alt+B), and save the SVG. The Bambu Lab wiki describes that route, followed by File, Import of the SVG in Bambu Studio. This converter does both steps at once and shows the trace before you download.

If you already have a clean vector logo, skip tracing and use the SVG to STL converter. For names and lettering, the text to STL generator builds outlines straight from a font.