<p>I suggest your objective can best be accomplished by converting the image to a single color vector file. You can do this with Inkscape (free, Linux, Windows, Mac) by combining the built-in bitmap tracing feature with some manual editing. I attempted to do so, but the coarseness of the image would result in excessive manual edit time. It may even be faster to reduce the opacity of the image and create a manual tracing on a second layer.</p>

<p>Once you have a vector file, you can use any number of 3D modeling programs to convert the file to a 3D STL. Fusion 360, Tinkercad and OpenSCAD allow import of SVG files to be extruded to user-specified thickness.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-15T00:20:10.453Z
2020-02-15T00:20:10.453Z
fred_dot_u
<p>First you need a single color png image, you can do this by opening the file in any image editor (even Paint included with Windows) and painting white over all the colored pixels (more advanced image editors maybe able to do this automatically). </p>

<p>Then you can use OpenSCAD (free download from openscad.org), enter the following code: (obviously, replace the file path with your own)</p>

<pre><code>surface("C:\\Users\\Nir\\Documents\\test.png",center=true); 
</code></pre>

<p>Now press F5 (at this point you'll see a low quality preview), then F6 (to do a full render and view an high quality preview), then F7 to save the STL</p>

<p>The resulting model will be higher then you want but you can scale the result STL in your slicer (or use the OpenSCAD scale command if you prefer code)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-17T14:45:33.740Z
2020-02-17T14:45:33.740Z
Nir
<p>PNGs are 2-dimensional picture data files. STL however is a 3-dimensinal surface data files. The two are not inherently transformable into one another, as there simply is no 3rd dimension encoded in the PNG.</p>
<p>However, there are ways to generate a 3rd dimension from a color picture:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lithophanes</a> take color information and use that as a degree of deviation from a base plane.</li>
<li>Using 3D design software that supports importing image data, one can trace the areas in 2D and <em>extrude</em> them to different heights or <em>emboss</em> the patterns into a block, even with different depths for each color.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-14T23:06:25.567Z
2020-11-06T12:49:45.647Z
2020-11-06T12:49:45.647Z
Trish
<p>For things like a coat of arms, you do not require a full 3D conversion, essentially all you need is a lithograph-like effect. The best program I've found for such conversions is 3D Builder which is a free Microsoft download for windows users (yes, I was surprised too). It can use either color or degrees of greyscale shading to determine the z-axis depth of each region in the picture. Makes the cleanest conversion I've found so far. Exports as a .3mf file but can be readily converted to an .stl for 3D printing (using something like <a href="https://www.swiftconverter.com/convert_3d" rel="nofollow noreferrer">SwiftConverter</a> for example). Also has an option to invert the conversion which I've found quite useful.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-06T07:10:51.057Z
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithography or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane ??
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-06T07:07:16.783Z
2020-11-06T07:07:16.783Z
John Bradbury
<p>Is it possible to convert an image image to STL file format? </p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Y6SYj.png" alt="png image"></p>

<p>E.g. I don't need the coloring, I need the lines.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-14T20:23:11.233Z
You need to clarify what you want. A thin slab of everything but the white/transparent parts of the image? Black strokes only with some thickness to them? Raised black strokes on top of a slab of the whole thing? Something else entirely?
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-14T20:33:47.540Z
Dont need color. Only to test. you can convert to me?
Rodrigo Franco
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-02-17T01:10:06.353Z
Check out this link: https://all3dp.com/2/how-to-convert-images-jpg-png-into-stls-for-3d-printing/
Rosalie W
<stl>
How to convert png to stl?
Rodrigo Franco
# How to convert png to stl?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-02-14)

Is it possible to convert an image image to STL file format?

![png image](https://i.sstatic.net/Y6SYj.png)

E.g. I don't need the coloring, I need the lines.

**Tags:** stl

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You need to clarify what you want. A thin slab of everything but the white/transparent parts of the image? Black strokes only with some thickness to them? Raised black strokes on top of a slab of the whole thing? Something else entirely?  
> **username_0**: Dont need color. Only to test. you can convert to me?  
> **username_2**: Check out this link: https://all3dp.com/2/how-to-convert-images-jpg-png-into-stls-for-3d-printing/  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2020-02-15. Score: 2

I suggest your objective can best be accomplished by converting the image to a single color vector file. You can do this with Inkscape (free, Linux, Windows, Mac) by combining the built-in bitmap tracing feature with some manual editing. I attempted to do so, but the coarseness of the image would result in excessive manual edit time. It may even be faster to reduce the opacity of the image and create a manual tracing on a second layer.

Once you have a vector file, you can use any number of 3D modeling programs to convert the file to a 3D STL. Fusion 360, Tinkercad and OpenSCAD allow import of SVG files to be extruded to user-specified thickness.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2020-02-17. Score: 1

First you need a single color png image, you can do this by opening the file in any image editor (even Paint included with Windows) and painting white over all the colored pixels (more advanced image editors maybe able to do this automatically).

Then you can use OpenSCAD (free download from openscad.org), enter the following code: (obviously, replace the file path with your own)

```
surface("C:\\Users\\Nir\\Documents\\test.png",center=true); 

```

Now press F5 (at this point you'll see a low quality preview), then F6 (to do a full render and view an high quality preview), then F7 to save the STL

The resulting model will be higher then you want but you can scale the result STL in your slicer (or use the OpenSCAD scale command if you prefer code)


---

### Answer by username_5 on 2020-02-14. Score: 1

PNGs are 2-dimensional picture data files. STL however is a 3-dimensinal surface data files. The two are not inherently transformable into one another, as there simply is no 3rd dimension encoded in the PNG.

However, there are ways to generate a 3rd dimension from a color picture:

* [Lithophanes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane) take color information and use that as a degree of deviation from a base plane.
* Using 3D design software that supports importing image data, one can trace the areas in 2D and *extrude* them to different heights or *emboss* the patterns into a block, even with different depths for each color.


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-11-06. Score: -1

For things like a coat of arms, you do not require a full 3D conversion, essentially all you need is a lithograph-like effect. The best program I've found for such conversions is 3D Builder which is a free Microsoft download for windows users (yes, I was surprised too). It can use either color or degrees of greyscale shading to determine the z-axis depth of each region in the picture. Makes the cleanest conversion I've found so far. Exports as a .3mf file but can be readily converted to an .stl for 3D printing (using something like [SwiftConverter](https://www.swiftconverter.com/convert_3d) for example). Also has an option to invert the conversion which I've found quite useful.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithography or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane ??  

---

