Image to STL: Turn One Photo into a 3D Print

Photo to 3D model, not a flat cut-out

There are two very different things people mean by "image to STL". Some tools trace a logo or drawing and push it up into a flat, raised shape, or turn a photo into a lithophane. OBJify does the other thing: it looks at the object in your photo and rebuilds its full 3D shape, including the sides and back you can't see, so you can print it as a real figure you can turn in your hand.

If you want a flat sign, a cookie cutter or a lithophane, a 2D-extrude or lithophane tool is the better choice. If you want a small statue of the thing in the photo, keep reading.

1. Pick a photo that prints well

The model can only be as good as the photo. A few seconds spent choosing the right one saves a wasted print.

• One object. A single figurine, toy, shoe or vase works best. A group photo or a full shelf does not.
• The whole object in frame. Cropped feet or a cut-off handle stay missing in the model.
• Slightly from above. A 15° to 30° camera angle shows the top and the front at once, which gives the model more to work with than a straight-on shot.
• Even light, sharp focus. Avoid hard shadows, motion blur and strong reflections.
• Any background. The background is removed automatically, so you don't need a photo studio. A plain background still helps with busy scenes.
• Solid things print best. Glass, very thin wires and see-through parts are hard to rebuild from a single photo.

Before generating, OBJify runs a quick check on sharpness, contrast and framing and warns you if the photo is likely to give a poor result.

PNG to STL, JPG to STL and WebP

All three work the same way, up to 25 MB per photo. The file type matters much less than the picture itself:

• JPG to STL: phone photos are JPG (or HEIC, which most phones can export as JPG). Upload the original, not a copy that was shrunk by a messaging app.
• PNG to STL: fine as long as it's a real photo or a realistic render of an object. A PNG of a flat logo or clip-art won't turn into a good 3D figure (see above).
• WebP: images saved from websites are often WebP. They work too, but they are often small, so look for the largest version.

2. Generate the model and check it for free

Open OBJify and drop in your photo. There's no account to create: you get a private guest session straight away.

1. Check the cutout. You'll see your object isolated on a clean background. If part of it is missing, try a different photo before going further.
2. Generate. The 3D model is ready in about 55 seconds.
3. Spin the 360° preview. Look at the back and the underside in particular. Those parts weren't in the photo, so this is where you decide if the model is good enough to print.

All of this is free. If you don't like the result, try another photo and it costs you nothing.

3. Download the STL

Downloading costs one credit: €1 for a single model, or as little as €0.40 per model in packs. Credits never expire and there's no subscription. Click Download and you get one ZIP file with everything in it:

Save the files to your computer right away. For privacy, OBJify doesn't keep your photos or models: they are deleted automatically after processing.

4. Slice it in Bambu Studio

The STL opens in any slicer. Here's the route in Bambu Studio; OrcaSlicer, QIDI Studio, PrusaSlicer and Cura have the same steps under similar names.

1. Import. Drag the .stl file onto the build plate, or use File → Import.
2. Set the size. The model arrives at 150 mm. Select it and use the Scale tool to type the height you want, with the proportions locked.
3. Put it flat on the plate. Use Lay on face and click the flattest side (usually the base), or try Auto orient.
4. Turn on supports. Figures almost always have overhangs: arms, chins, chair seats. Enable supports and choose tree supports, which are easier to remove from curved shapes.
5. Choose the quality. A finer layer height (around 0.12 mm) shows more detail on small figures; the standard 0.2 mm is fine for larger prints.
6. Slice and check the preview. Scroll through the layers to make sure nothing starts in mid-air, then send it to the printer.

Tips for a clean first print

• Watch the thin parts. When you shrink a model, antennas, fingers and handles shrink too. A standard 0.4 mm nozzle struggles with anything thinner than about 1 mm, so print small models a bit larger or accept that tiny details will soften.
• Use a resin printer for very small figures. Below about 5 cm, resin keeps far more of the detail than FDM.
• The STL has no colour. STL files only hold shape. Print in one colour and paint it, using the textured .OBJ as your colour reference.
• Add a base if it wobbles. If the model only touches the plate at a few points, add a brim, or place it on a simple disc in your slicer.

OBJify or MakerWorld's image to 3D?

If you print on a Bambu Lab machine, you may have seen the image-to-3D tool in MakerWorld's MakerLab. It lives inside your Bambu Lab account, which is handy if you already do everything in that ecosystem.

OBJify is the better fit when you want to start without an account, see the full model before paying anything, and keep standard files that open in any slicer or 3D app: STL for printing, OBJ for editing and GLB for the web. Both are worth trying with the same photo; the free preview makes the comparison easy.