PNG to OBJ converter with real volume
Turn character art, game sprites, icons and transparent renders into OBJ models you can open in Blender, Maya or any slicer. OBJ export is included on the Free plan.
- 400,000+ makers
- 2M+ models generated
- No credit card to start
chest.png
chest.obj
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, then switch to STL (no color) to see exactly what a single-color print gets.
Input: chest.png, 1024 pxWood planks, gold bands, rivets and a gem lock: fine surface relief for a tabletop prop or dice box.
- Generated mesh
- 999,026 triangles
- Watertight
- Yes, 1 body
- Detail setting
- High, full color
- This preview
- 59,936 tris, 446 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.
PNG to OBJ: what actually happens
Artists convert PNG to OBJ for two main reasons: to get a 3D blockout of a 2D character or prop to refine in a sculpting app, or to drop a design into a game engine or renderer. Either way you want real volume, not the textured flat plane that most "PNG to OBJ" tools produce.
PrintPal's AI reads your PNG, transparency included, and builds a closed mesh with a front, sides and back. Treat the OBJ as a strong starting point: the proportions and silhouette come from your art, and the hidden sides are a plausible guess you can sculpt over.
Updated by the PrintPal teamInput: PNG
Portable Network Graphics · .png
- Type
- Raster, lossless
- Transparency
- Yes, full alpha channel
- Typical source
- Logos, digital art, renders, AI images, product cutouts
- Watch out for
- Screenshots with UI, sprite sheets, tiny icons
- Transparency: Used as the cutout, so the AI knows exactly where your subject ends.
- Colors: Projected onto full-color models (Pro). STL drops them.
- Resolution: Scaled to 2048 px on the long side in your browser; larger adds nothing.
Output: OBJ
Wavefront OBJ
- Stores
- Vertices, faces, UVs and normals as text
- Color
- Via a .mtl file and texture images, or vertex colors
- Units
- None
- Size (our 1M-triangle test)
- 74.2 MB, plus 10.7 MB of material and texture
- Opens in
- Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, ZBrush, Cinema 4D, most slicers
- PrintPal plan
- Free and up
How to convert PNG to OBJ
-
1
Upload the PNG
Use a single view of your character or prop, ideally on a transparent background.
-
2
Sign in
Create a free account; your PNG is carried through sign-up.
-
3
Generate and inspect
Rotate the result in the browser preview. Regenerate or switch to Refined quality if the hidden side is off.
-
4
Download OBJ
Pick OBJ and import it into Blender, Maya, ZBrush or your engine.
Tips for a better OBJ
Pick one view from a turnaround
Each generation takes one image. Crop the front or 3/4 view out of a character sheet rather than uploading the whole sheet.
Keep the alpha channel
Transparent PNG renders give the cleanest silhouette. Drop shadows baked into the PNG can turn into lumps under the model.
Plan for retopology
The OBJ is a dense triangle mesh made for printing and rendering. Retopologize it before rigging or animating.
Pixel art is a special case
The AI tends to smooth pixel art into soft shapes. For a blocky voxel look, extrude an SVG trace of the sprite instead.
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.
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 OBJ
The checklist we use before printing a generated OBJ.
- Keep the .obj with any .mtl and texture files in one folder, or zip them together before sharing.
- In Blender use File, Import, Wavefront (.obj). OBJ has no units and Blender treats 1 unit as 1 metre, so scale to suit your scene.
- Decimate before sculpting or rigging: a Decimate modifier at 0.2 keeps the silhouette of a 1M-triangle mesh at a fraction of the weight.
- Slicers read OBJ like STL. Bambu Studio can also read vertex-color OBJs and map their colors to filaments.
- Need STL or 3MF later? Convert it free with the 3D model converter.
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Free
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
PNG to OBJ FAQ
Will the OBJ be rigged or animated?
Can I convert a character turnaround sheet?
Does the OBJ include textures?
How big is the OBJ file?
Is PNG to OBJ free?
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 PNG to OBJ?
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.