Image to 3MF converter for multi-color prints
Go from a picture to a 3MF your slicer opens with real units and, with Pro, every color already assigned to its own filament for your AMS or MMU.
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rocket.png
rocket.3mf
Real PrintPal output
Used by makers, engineers, and educators at
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See a real result in 3D
This model was generated by PrintPal from the image beside it. Spin it and compare the full-color version with the plain STL a single-color printer gets.
Input: rocket.png, 1024 pxFour flat colors on smooth toy shapes: red, cream, blue and yellow each map onto one filament for a multi-color print.
- Generated mesh
- 999,316 triangles
- Watertight
- Yes, 1 body
- Detail setting
- High, full color
- This preview
- 59,958 tris, 362 KB
Each example is one AI-generated 1024 px PNG run through PrintPal's full-color image-to-3D at high detail, with no editing afterwards. Mesh checks were run on the raw download with trimesh. The preview is simplified to about 60,000 triangles so it loads fast; your download keeps full detail.
Image to 3MF: what actually happens
3MF is the modern replacement for STL, developed by the 3MF Consortium whose members include Microsoft, HP, Autodesk, Ultimaker and Prusa. It is a zip archive of XML that records units explicitly, can hold several objects, and stores color per triangle, which is why Bambu Studio and OrcaSlicer save their projects as .3mf.
There are two ways to get a 3MF from an image with PrintPal. For multi-color prints, generate in full color (Pro) and use Multi-color export: the model's texture is reduced to 2 to 8 filament colors you pick by tapping the model, and you download a painted 3MF. For single-color prints, download the STL and convert it free with the 3D model converter, or open the STL in your slicer and save the project.
Updated by the PrintPal teamOutput: 3MF
3D Manufacturing Format
- Stores
- Mesh, units, colors and materials, multiple objects, print settings
- Color
- Yes, per triangle
- Units
- Explicit (millimetres)
- Size (our 1M-triangle test)
- 21.0 MB zipped, versus 49.9 MB as STL
- Opens in
- Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer, Cura, Windows 3D Builder
- PrintPal plan
- Multi-color export on Pro; single-color 3MF free via the converter
How to convert an image to 3MF
-
1
Upload an image
Bold, distinct colors give the cleanest filament split.
-
2
Sign in and generate in full color
Full color is a Pro feature; check the shape first in Draft.
-
3
Open Multi-color export
Choose 2 to 8 colors and tap the model to pin the ones that matter.
-
4
Download the 3MF
Open it in Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer and sync with your AMS.
Tips for a better 3MF
Pick colors you own
Pin the palette to spools you have loaded so the slicer does not substitute them.
Fewer colors print faster
Each color change costs purge filament and time. Three or four colors are usually the sweet spot.
Units in the file
No more models arriving 25 times too small: 3MF records millimetres.
Smaller than STL
Our 1M-triangle test model was 21.0 MB as 3MF against 49.9 MB as STL, because 3MF shares vertices and zips its contents.
From a phone photo to a printed object
Casual photos, not studio shots. Each one was generated on PrintPal and printed on a desktop printer.
Photo
AI model
Print
Store-bought vase to printed planter
A casual photo of a ceramic face vase, the generated model, and the white PLA print holding up just as well.
In the slicer
Print
Diorama straight to the slicer
A detailed cabin diorama loaded into Bambu Studio without repairs, then printed at a few centimetres across.
Which kind of 3MF do you need?
Five different things are sold as “image to 3D”. Pick the one that matches what you want to hold in your hand.
| AI reconstruction | Heightmap relief | Extrusion | Photogrammetry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full 3D object from one image | Yes | No, flat panel | No, flat profile | No, needs 30+ photos |
| Keeps exact dimensions | Proportions only | Yes | Yes, from vectors | Yes |
| Skill needed | None | None | A clean vector file | Careful shooting |
| Time | About a minute | Seconds | Seconds | Hours |
| Color output | Yes (Pro) | Light and shadow | One color per shape | Yes |
| On PrintPal | AI generator | Lithophane, filament painter | SVG extruder | Scanning tips |
One model, every format
We exported the same 998,810-triangle generation to each format and measured the files.
| Format | File size | Color | Units | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STL (binary) | 49.9 MB | No | None (slicers assume mm) | Any slicer |
| STL (ASCII) | 303 MB | No | None | Legacy CAD; avoid |
| OBJ + MTL + texture | 84.9 MB | Texture or vertex colors | None | Blender, sculpting |
| GLB (with textures) | 40.5 MB | Yes, PBR textures | Metres | Web, AR, games |
| 3MF (zipped) | 21.0 MB | Yes, per triangle | Millimetres | Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer |
| PLY (binary) | 27.3 MB | Vertex colors | None | Scans, point clouds |
Same 998,810-triangle knight exported with trimesh; the GLB is the download as it came from PrintPal. The 3MF holds geometry only; a painted multi-color 3MF adds a little for the color data.
After you download the 3MF
The checklist we use before printing a generated 3MF.
- Open it in Bambu Studio or OrcaSlicer. Units travel with the file, so it loads at the right size.
- The colors in the file show up as filaments in the slicer; sync them with your AMS or pick the closest spools you own.
- Keep the prime tower on and check the purge estimate. Fewer colors means less waste and a faster print.
- Using PrusaSlicer or another slicer? Download the vertex-color OBJ from the same export, or print the STL in one color.
- Single-color 3MF only? Convert any STL free with the 3D model converter.
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For trying image to 3D
Free forever · no credit card
- 10 AI generations / month
- Image to 3D
- Draft quality
- STL & OBJ download
- Free browser tools: SVG extruder, lithophanes, converter
- Full color, GLB & multi-color 3MF
- Refined & Production quality
- Commercial rights
Pro
For makers & sellers
Billed monthly · cancel anytime
Secure checkout with Stripe
- 200 AI generations / month
- Full-color models
- GLB & PLY export
- Multi-color 3MF for AMS (2 to 8 colors)
- Refined & Production quality
- 20 Production models / month (40 in month one)
- Text to 3D and AI model edits
- Priority queue
- Commercial rights
Studio
For print farms & power users
Billed monthly · cancel anytime
Secure checkout with Stripe
- Everything in Pro, plus
- 500 AI generations / month
- 60 Production models / month (80 in month one)
- Built for steady custom-order volume
Image to 3MF FAQ
Is 3MF better than STL?
How many colors can the 3MF have?
Which printers and slicers work with it?
Can I get a 3MF on the Free plan?
Can I change colors after downloading?
How long does a conversion take?
Can I sell prints of the models I make?
Still have questions? Contact our team
Ready to convert your image to 3MF?
Drop in an image and download a print-ready model in about a minute. Start free, or go Pro for full color, GLB, multi-color 3MF and commercial rights.