Learn: 3D printing, CNC and relief making
Plain-English guides to STL files, 3D printing and CNC.
New to 3D printing or CNC carving? These guides explain the ideas behind turning a picture into a relief you can print or carve. Short, friendly, and almost entirely free of math.
What Is an STL File?
What an STL file is, what is inside it, and why it is the standard format for 3D printing and CNC relief carving.
3D File Formats: STL, 3MF, GLB, PLY, OBJ and Heightmaps
STL, 3MF, GLB, PLY, OBJ and heightmap PNG compared: what each one is for, which programs open it, and which to choose.
Terrain Models: How Embossify Terra Turns a Place Into a Print
How Embossify Terra turns a real place into a 3D-printable terrain model: where the elevation comes from, exaggeration, resolution, color and printing tips.
What Are Facets in 3D Printing?
What facets are in 3D printing, how triangles build an STL surface, and how image resolution affects detail.
What Is Stereolithography (SLA)?
What stereolithography is, how resin printers work, and how to turn a picture into an SLA print.
Additive vs. Subtractive Manufacturing
3D printing adds material and CNC routing removes it. Compare the two methods and learn which one to use.
What Is CNC Routing?
What CNC routing is, what it can carve, and how to turn a picture into a 3D relief for your router.
What Is a Lithophane?
What a lithophane is, how it works, a short history, and how to make your own backlit picture in 3D.
How Embossify Turns a Picture into an STL File
How a picture becomes an STL file, step by step, and the controls that change the result.
Help and FAQ
Using Embossify: image types, settings, embossment types, orders and troubleshooting.
Ready to try it?
Turn any picture into a relief. The Standard file is free.