Stays in your browser — it is resized and converted to a height map here, and
only that small greyscale version is ever sent or saved.
1.0x
Drag the window to choose the part; zoom to tighten in.
Double-click to reset.
The drawing is clipped to this and the frame follows the same outline. On
anything but a circle the path is cut into runs, each anchored under the frame.
Angle only applies to lines. Both are drawn as one continuous path, so the piece
comes off the bed in a single connected part.
More passes give finer tone but a thinner line. Keep the thinnest line at or above
one nozzle width — below that it prints as a gap and the piece falls apart.
A nozzle rounds every edge, so a picture that looks right on screen prints soft.
Auto contrast
Stretch the photo to use the full range before anything else
Negative
Flip light and dark, if the print comes out inverted
Frame
A separate printed piece — leave it off for a bare panel
A corner loop hangs the tag at an angle instead of flat against the ring.
No loop leaves a plain panel — for a stand, a magnet or a window.
custom colour
custom colour
The image only appears because light gets through — print this part in white or
natural filament. A dark one shows nothing whatever the geometry does.
3MF keeps the colours as separate parts. STL is one plain mesh. OBJ is for
Blender and the like, not for printing.
A recipe of everything on this page, so you can come back to it later.
About this spiral art generator
Upload a photo and it is redrawn as a single continuous line — a spiral or angled lines — that thickens where the picture is dark, so the portrait appears when you step back. The result is a 3D printable plaque up to 150mm across in a circle, square, heart, hexagon, octagon or star frame, downloadable as STL or 3MF with a commercial licence.
Frequently asked questions
How does photo spiral art work?
The picture is sampled along one continuous path, and the line is drawn thicker where the photo is dark. From a distance your eye blends the line widths back into the portrait.
What shapes and sizes can the spiral art be?
Circle, square, heart, pentagon, hexagon, octagon or star, up to 150mm across, with the frame drawn to match the outline exactly.
Is my photo uploaded or stored?
The photo is converted in your browser and only a small greyscale version is sent to build the model. The original never leaves your device.
Can I print spiral art on a normal 3D printer?
Yes — it prints flat on the bed in one or two colours, with a line thickness chosen for a standard 0.4mm nozzle.