One-to-one elevation mapping
Grey level maps linearly to Z, so a heightmap exported from QGIS, Blender, or World Machine reproduces its terrain profile without guesswork.
HEIGHTMAP TO STL
Heightmap to STL converter
Turn a greyscale elevation map into a printable terrain tile. Set vertical scale in millimetres and get a watertight solid with a flat, sealed base.
Upload once and a printable relief STL starts building in this browser. Best for logos, portraits, terrain, signs, and lithophanes.
About this converter
A heightmap is already the exact data structure this converter uses internally, which makes it the most direct input available: each grey value is an elevation and no interpretation is needed. The presets here reflect that. Vertical relief starts at 12mm rather than 5mm because terrain needs exaggeration to read, base thickness is raised so a large tile stays rigid, and detail defaults to Fine so ridge lines survive.
HEIGHTMAP TO STL
From image to sliced print in three steps
- 1
Load your image
Drag in a PNG, JPG, or WebP, paste from the clipboard, or start from a built-in sample.
- 2
Set real dimensions
Type the width, height, relief depth, and base thickness in millimetres and watch the mesh rebuild live.
- 3
Check, then download
Read the open-edge and manifold report, then export a binary STL straight into your slicer.
Vertical exaggeration you control
Real terrain is almost flat at print scale. Relief height sets the exaggeration directly in millimetres so neighbouring tiles stay consistent.
Tileable, sealed base
Each tile is closed with a flat floor and vertical side walls at the exact width and height you specify, so adjacent tiles butt together cleanly.
Built around prints that actually succeed
Live geometry, not a mockup
Every slider rebuilds the real mesh in a worker thread. What you orbit is the file you download.
Millimetres, not guesswork
Width, height, relief depth, and base thickness are typed in real units, so the plate fits your bed the first time.
Six pre-slice diagnostics
Open edges, non-manifold edges, degenerate faces, triangle count, volume, and bed contact are all reported.
Local by default
Relief, lithophane, viewer, and converter work never leaves the browser. Only AI generation uploads anything.
Five interchange formats
Export binary STL, GLB, glTF, OBJ, or PLY, and convert between them without installing a modelling suite.
Free where it counts
Unlimited local conversion with no watermark, no daily cap, and no account. Credits apply only to AI generation.
Which mode fits your image?
Relief mode extrudes brightness into height. AI mode reconstructs a full closed volume.
| Relief / Lithophane | AI 3D Object | |
|---|---|---|
| Best input | Logos, line art, portraits, terrain, height maps | Product shots, characters, props, toys |
| Output shape | Raised plate with a flat back | Closed volume with a real back and sides |
| Typical wait | Under 3 seconds | 40 seconds to 4 minutes |
| Where it runs | This browser only | Uploaded to the model provider |
| Cost | Free and unlimited | From 8 credits per model |
Made with IMG2STL
Four builds produced with the presets on this page, exported as printed.
- Terrain and topographic models
- Tabletop game boards
- Architectural site models
- Bathymetry and lake beds
Frequently asked questions
What heightmap format do you accept?
Any 8-bit or 16-bit greyscale PNG, JPG, or WebP. Export your DEM as a greyscale image from GIS software first. Black is the lowest elevation and white the highest, which is the standard convention.
How do I keep the vertical scale accurate?
Work out the real elevation range your greyscale covers, then set relief height to that range divided by your horizontal scale factor. If you want honest 1:1 proportions, that number is usually under a millimetre, which is why most terrain prints exaggerate deliberately.
Why are there terraces in my terrain?
An 8-bit heightmap has only 256 elevation steps. Spread over 12mm of relief that is a visible 0.05mm step per level, which can band on smooth slopes. Use a 16-bit source, or add one step of smoothing to blend the transitions.
Can I print a large area as multiple tiles?
Yes. Crop your heightmap into sections, then convert each with identical width, height, relief, and base settings. Because dimensions are absolute millimetres rather than normalised, the tiles line up.
How many triangles will a Fine terrain tile have?
Fine sampling on a square heightmap typically produces a few hundred thousand triangles. Binary STL keeps that to a manageable file size, and the print check reports the exact count before you export.
Related tools
Jump straight to the converter tuned for your source file.
Turn your image into a printable file now
Relief and lithophane conversion is free, unlimited, and runs entirely in this browser. AI reconstruction starts with one free trial model.