Backlit lithophane preview
Lithophane mode shades the panel by thickness, as if a lamp were behind it.
JPG to STL Converter
Turn a JPG or JPEG photo into a lithophane, a relief or a cut-out STL. Live 3D preview, nothing uploaded.
Style
Samples
3D previewSample
Loading 3D preview
Drag to rotate
100 mm
3.2 mm
Advanced settings
0.8 mm
Detail
Runs in your browser. Your image is never uploaded.
After you convert your JPG
Make a photo panel, find the right print for a picture, or check the finished STL.
How to convert JPG to STL
- 1
Add a JPG or JPEG
Drop, paste or choose a photo up to 10 MB. Use the largest version you have.
- 2
Choose the kind of print
Lithophane, relief or cut-out. Drag the sliders and the 3D preview updates.
- 3
Download and print
Save the STL in millimeters. Lithophanes print standing up, reliefs and cut-outs lie flat.
From shaded image to relief
Grayscale artwork with soft shading, and the relief this converter builds from it. Dark fur rises, light areas stay low.
Why use this JPG to STL converter
Three ways to print a photo, all from the same upload.
Switch modes freely
Move between lithophane, relief and cut-out without uploading the photo again.
Clean outlines from photos
Cut-outs are traced after a light blur, so JPEG noise does not turn into ragged edges.
Real sizes and filament
Read the width, depth, height and grams of PLA as you set the longest side.
Thickness and detail
Set the lithophane's min and max thickness and choose draft, standard or fine detail.
Private, free preview
Your photo is converted in your browser, never uploaded. The preview is free; an STL is 2 credits.
Settings for photo prints
Where to start in each mode.
Lithophane: 0.8 to 3.2 mm
The default thickness range keeps highlights bright and still blocks light in deep shadows.
Print lithophanes upright
Stand the panel on edge with a small brim, in white PLA at 100% infill.
Relief: Draft or Standard detail
Photo texture prints as bumps at Fine. A coarser grid keeps the surface calmer.
Test at 50 mm first
A small print uses little filament and shows contrast or detail problems before a full-size piece.
JPG to STL guide
What a photo can and cannot tell the converter, and how to get a usable JPG.
The one thing a JPG cannot tell the converter
A JPG stores brightness and color, but not depth and not transparency. The converter turns brightness into height, so it cannot know where the subject ends and the background starts, or how far a nose sticks out. Every mode works around that in its own way.
Lithophanes do not need depth at all: they only need brightness, which is exactly what a photo has. That is why photos make the best lithophanes and only so-so reliefs.
Pick the mode that suits your photo
Lithophane is the natural choice for portraits, pets and landscapes: the picture appears when light shines through. Relief works for photos with strong, simple shapes, such as a building against the sky or a high-contrast graphic.
Silhouette suits a subject on a plain background, like a pet photographed against a white wall. Raise the cut-off until the outline is solid, and the background drops away.
Getting a usable JPG
Use the largest, least-compressed version you have. Heavy JPEG compression leaves blocky noise that prints as bumps; a photo straight from the camera or phone works far better than one saved from a messaging app.
Crop tightly to the subject before you upload, and brighten very dark photos. If the background matters, a PNG with transparency is the better source.
JPG to STL questions
Answers about photo prints, JPEG files, bumpy reliefs, 3D figures and privacy.
What is the best way to turn a photo into an STL?
A lithophane. It turns brightness into thickness and shows the photo when backlit, which suits photographs far better than a relief.
Does JPEG work the same as JPG?
Yes. JPG and JPEG are the same format with different file extensions; both convert the same way.
Why is my relief bumpy?
Photos have texture and compression noise that become bumps. Switch to Lithophane, drop Detail to Standard, or start from a cleaner image.
Can I make a 3D model of a person from a JPG?
A full figure needs AI 3D, which builds the parts the photo does not show. The modes on this page make flat prints: lithophanes, reliefs and cut-outs.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. Lithophane, relief and cut-out all run in your browser, and your photo never leaves your device.