# SVG to STL converter extrude it or sculpt it

> Need a sign, badge, keychain or cookie cutter? Extrude your SVG to an exact depth right on this page, free and without an account. Want your mascot as a real 3D figure? Send the same SVG to PrintPal's AI.

Page: https://printpal.io/convert/svg-to-stl
Updated: 2026-11-12
Try it: https://printpal.io/convert/svg-to-stl (upload an image; the free plan needs an account)

SVG is a vector format: instead of pixels it stores paths, curves and fills as XML. That makes it the cleanest possible source for a flat extrusion, because the outline is mathematically exact at any size. It also means there are no pixels to read depth from, which is why most SVG to STL tools only extrude.

This page does both. The [free extruder](https://printpal.io/convert/svg-to-stl#extrude) reads your SVG's filled shapes, raises them to the height you choose, and exports an STL in millimetres without uploading anything. For a sculpted result, the AI box at the top renders the SVG in your browser at 2048 px and the generator reconstructs it as a full 3D model.

## How to convert SVG to STL

1. **Drop your SVG into the extruder.** Or into the AI box at the top for a sculpted model.
2. **Set the size and depth.** Width in millimetres, extrusion depth, and an optional base plate.
3. **Download the STL.** No account needed. Slice it like any other model.
4. **Want it in 3D?.** Use the AI box above, sign in, and press Generate.

## Things to know

- **Convert text to outlines:** Fonts are not stored as shapes in an SVG. In Illustrator use Type, Create Outlines; in Inkscape use Path, Object to Path.
- **Fills, not strokes:** The extruder uses filled shapes. Line art drawn with strokes only needs Stroke to Path first, or the lines vanish.
- **Respect the nozzle:** Keep features at least 1 mm wide at final size for a 0.4 mm nozzle; cookie-cutter walls about 0.8 to 1.2 mm.
- **Several colors?:** An STL is one color. Export a [3MF with one part per color](https://printpal.io/convert/svg-to-3mf) for AMS or MMU printing.

## SVG at a glance (Scalable Vector Graphics)

- **Type:** Vector (XML paths and fills)
- **Transparency:** Yes
- **Typical source:** Logos, icons, Cricut and laser files, illustrations
- **Watch out for:** Live text, stroke-only lines, embedded bitmaps
- **Paths in the conversion:** Extruded exactly in the free extruder, with sizes in millimetres.
- **Fill colors in the conversion:** Grouped so each color can print as its own part.
- **For AI in the conversion:** Rendered to a 2048 px image in your browser, then reconstructed.

## STL at a glance (Stereolithography (Standard Triangle Language))

- **Stores:** Triangle geometry only
- **Color:** No
- **Units:** None; slicers assume millimetres
- **Size (our 1M-triangle test):** 49.9 MB binary, 303 MB ASCII
- **Opens in:** Every slicer, CAD tool and Blender
- **PrintPal plan:** Free and up

### After you download the STL

- Import it into Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, PrusaSlicer or Cura and set the size in millimetres. STL has no units, so PrintPal scales tiny models up to at least 80 mm on the longest side; resize to taste.
- Lay the flattest side on the bed, or use the slicer's auto-orient.
- Turn on tree supports for overhangs steeper than about 45 degrees, such as chins, ears and arms.
- Keep walls and small features at least 0.8 mm thick (two perimeters on a 0.4 mm nozzle) so detail survives.
- Printing in resin? Hollow it with about 2 mm walls and add drain holes.
- If the slicer flags errors, run the file through the free [mesh repair tool](https://printpal.io/tools/mesh-repair).

## Same model, every format (measured)

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.

| 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 |

## Real example

The toy rocket model shown on the page was generated by PrintPal from rocket.png (1024 px). Raw output: 999,316 triangles, one watertight body with consistent winding. Web preview: 59,958 triangles, 362 KB GLB.

## FAQ

### Is the SVG to STL extruder free?

Yes, with no account and no upload: the SVG is read and extruded in your browser. The AI conversion uses the PrintPal generator, which needs a free account.

### Why are parts of my SVG missing from the STL?

Usually because they are strokes rather than filled shapes, live text that was never converted to outlines, or embedded bitmap images. Convert strokes and text to paths and try again.

### How do I make a cookie cutter from an SVG?

Draw the outline as a filled ring about 0.8 to 1.2 mm wide (Stroke to Path in your vector app), extrude it 12 to 15 mm, and print with food-safe filament. Add a 2 mm lip by extruding a wider version of the ring at the base.

### What size will the STL be?

Whatever you set. The extruder scales your SVG to the width you enter in millimetres and keeps the aspect ratio, so the STL opens at that size in your slicer.

### Can AI turn an SVG into a real 3D model?

Yes. Drop the SVG into the AI box at the top. It is rendered to a 2048 px image in your browser and reconstructed with depth, sides and back, which works well for characters, mascots and illustrated objects.

### Does the STL keep my SVG's colors?

No, STL stores geometry only. Use the 3MF export in the extruder to keep one part per fill color.

### How long does a conversion take?

Draft quality usually finishes in 30 to 60 seconds. Refined and Production take longer because they build more detail, and Pro generations run on a priority queue.

### Can I sell prints of the models I make?

Yes, on Pro and Studio, which include commercial rights for prints and digital files. The Free plan is for personal use. You also need the rights to the image you upload, so stick to your own photos and artwork or images you have permission to use.

## Related conversions

- [SVG to 3MF](https://printpal.io/convert/svg-to-3mf): Convert SVG to 3MF free in your browser: each fill color becomes its own part for AMS or MMU printing. Or turn SVG artwork into a full AI 3D model.
- [SVG to OBJ](https://printpal.io/convert/svg-to-obj): Convert SVG to OBJ free in your browser: extrude vector paths into an OBJ with exact depth, grouped by color, or turn SVG artwork into a sculpted AI model.
- [PNG to STL](https://printpal.io/convert/png-to-stl): Convert a PNG into a watertight, print-ready STL with AI. Real 3D depth instead of a flat extrusion, transparent backgrounds supported. Free plan.
- [JPG to STL](https://printpal.io/convert/jpg-to-stl): Convert a JPG or JPEG photo into a print-ready STL with AI. Builds the full 3D shape from one photo and repairs the mesh. Works with phone photos. Free plan.
- [WebP to STL](https://printpal.io/convert/webp-to-stl): Convert WebP images to print-ready STL files with AI. Works with images saved from websites and online stores, keeps transparency, repairs the mesh. Free plan.
- [HEIC to STL](https://printpal.io/convert/heic-to-stl): Convert HEIC photos from your iPhone straight into print-ready STL files with AI. No HEIC to JPG step: PrintPal converts in your browser. Free plan.
- [Image to STL](https://printpal.io/convert/image-to-stl): Turn any image, photo or picture into a print-ready STL with AI. PNG, JPG, WebP, HEIC and SVG supported. Watertight mesh in about a minute. Free plan.
- [PNG to OBJ](https://printpal.io/convert/png-to-obj): Convert a PNG into an OBJ 3D model with AI: real volume, not a textured flat plane. Open it in Blender, Maya or any slicer. OBJ export on the free plan.

## Learn more

- [3D printing file formats](https://printpal.io/wiki/3d-printing-file-formats): STL, 3MF, OBJ, STEP and G-code compared.
- [Multicolor 3D printing guide](https://printpal.io/wiki/multicolor-3d-printing-guide): AMS, MMU, tool changers and manual color swaps.
- [Layer heights, walls and line widths](https://printpal.io/wiki/layer-heights-walls-and-line-widths): The settings that decide how much fine detail survives.

- All image to 3D conversions: https://printpal.io/image-to-3d
- PrintPal for LLMs: https://printpal.io/llms.txt