Looking for some creative ways to use your 3D printer and have some fun with your kids?
We were looking for some fun ways to use our 3D printer and make it exciting and “real” for the kids. So we decided to TRANSFORM some clip art of their favorite animals into 3D objects that they could hold and play with.
Here we show, step-by-step (with pictures), how to take a high-quality image of a team logo, company logo or even just a clip art image and transform it into 3D model that you can 3D print!
What You Need
- Computer with Internet access
- High-quality image (.jpg, .png, etc)
- Microsoft 3D Builder (Free with Windows 10/11)
- (Optional) Access to TinkerCAD.com (free CAD design software that runs within your browser)
Step-by-Step Guide to Making a 3D Model that can be 3D Printed from an Image
STEP 1) Select Your Image, Logo or Clip Art.
Obtain a high quality image of the logo you want to be able to 3D print. If the image is NOT of sufficient quality it will be difficult, if not impossible, to produce a 3D model that is of decent quality. Better to start with an image that is larger than necessary – than one that is too small.
STEP 2) Open Image in 3D Builder.
Open your image in Microsoft 3D Builder (Free with Windows 10/11)
STEP 3) Manipulate the Image.
Manipulate image in Microsoft 3D Builder. For “Method” select “Contour”. Adjust the level until the model looks clean and includes the elements you want. For some images I need to have this high – for others – it is low. Finally, Leave the “Smooth” slider all the way to the left (more smooth) as the contours are more rounded and less angular.
With the “Levels” selector all the way to the left with this model – it is just a solid silhouette. If I move the “Levels” selector to the right more – you will notice that the brown spots become holes all the way through the model. That’s what I did for this model – since I partially filled them in a later step in TinkerCAD
STEP 4) Import the Image.
Import the image into Microsoft 3D Builder by selecting the “Import Image” button as indicated. You can further manipulate the model once it is imported – but we usually just save it (the next step) and if we are going to further manipulate or change it – we do so in TinkerCAD – which is FREE online.
STEP 5) Save Image.
Select the 3 horizontal bars in the upper left hand corner of the the program and then the “Save As” option. Name and save your image.
STEP 6) Upload into TinkerCAD.
We usually do most of the changes and “tinkering” to a 3D model in TinkerCAD.com. For example, to this model I added my youngest daughter’s name to the model.
STEP 7) Tinker Your 3D Model to Customize!
Once we have converted the image to a 3D model, here is where make any changes to the model to customize it for our own use. For this model I added Sophie’s name to it, adjusted the spots, eyes & ears (made them just recessed- as opposed to holes al the way through the model), and built up the ring around the giraffe. I also put a hole through the entire model at the top – in case we wanted to use this as a Christmas tree ornament. How we actually do all the changes in TinkerCAD is beyond the scope of this post, and will be something we cover in future posts. In the meantime – I would encourage you to see Gracie’s post introducing you to TinkerCAD.
STEP 8) Export, Slice and 3D Print!
Not much left to do now! Just export the 3D model out of TinkerCAD, download it as a .stl file, and then save it. After that you will need to open the file up and slice it – to prepare it to actually be 3D printed. If you are unfamiliar with the slicing process or what it is – you can read my post: What is Slicing for 3D Printing? Why Do I Need to Do it? How Do I Do It?
Conclusion
The kids have had a lot of fun turning some of their favorite clip art of their most loved animals into 3D models that we can customize and then 3D print. As I mentioned – this can be used to convert artwork of company & team logos as into 3D models that you can print as well.
It may take a little patience to become adept at using TinkerCAD – but once you get used to moving the model around and the simple concepts it is built upon (adding structures & blocks, and using “holes” to subtract areas) – it becomes a lot easier. It really doesn’t take that much time at all to become somewhat proficient at using it!
Sincerely,
