PrintaraAcademyPrintara.coPrintaraAcademyPrintara.coCreate a reference image, generate and inspect a 3D model, export STL and multicolor 3MF, prepare resin supports, and make product images.
Free video tutorial from Printara Academy, 4 min 19 s. Narration in English, Czech, French, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, German. No account needed to watch.
Read next: AI 3D Generator guide: from a photo to STL and multi-colour 3MF
The narration of this video, from its captions.
0:00 Let's turn a simple idea into a 3D model in Printara. We'll create the reference, prepare the model for printing, and finish with images you can use in a listing.
0:11 In Image, choose From text. Describe one complete subject against a simple background. Here, we're creating a colorful parrot on a branch against white.
0:22 Choose an image model and generate a few variations. Compare the pose, silhouette, and small details before choosing the image you'll turn into 3D.
0:31 This parrot needs a base. Use a custom image edit to add one before creating the model. A clear support structure in the reference makes the intended design easier to understand.
0:43 Check the result carefully: the feet meet the perch, the tail is visible, and the branch connects to the base. Choose 3D Model when you're happy with the reference.
0:53 In Generate, choose Image to 3D and confirm your reference. We're using Premium Pro here. Other generation modes are available, but we'll keep this example focused on one image.
1:05 Enable textures if you want a colored model. In this example, we choose Detailed 4K and leave Generate in Parts off. Check the displayed cost, then generate your model.
1:17 When generation finishes, rotate the model. Look behind the wings, around the feet, and under the perch. A strong front view is only part of a good 3D result.
1:28 Switch to Matcap to inspect the shape without the texture. Then return to PBR for the colored appearance. This helps you spot whether a detail is actual geometry or just surface color.
1:41 Open Export and set your print height. Here, it's one hundred millimeters. Generate the STL, then download it when it's ready. STL contains the shape, not the model's colors.
1:53 For a multicolor print, use the 3MF section. Choose a practical number of filament colors and the detail level, then generate the color regions. The initial preview is not the finished result.
2:07 Now inspect the generated print preview. Texture shading becomes a limited filament palette, so it will look different from the original textured model. Check small regions and color boundaries.
2:19 Use Change colour beside a palette entry to choose a filament or a custom color. Review the model as you make changes, especially around the face and feather details.
2:30 You can also merge similar shades to reduce the number of filament colors. Watch the preview as you do this. Undo a merge if it removes contrast you want to keep.
2:40 Download the 3MF when the palette looks right. Open it in your slicer and check the scale, filament assignments, and sliced layers. Color support can differ between slicers.
2:52 For resin printing, open Supports. Adjust the orientation and review the support settings before generating. The right orientation depends on the shape, printer, and resin; there isn't one angle for every model.
3:07 Rotate the supported result and inspect the contact points and delicate features. Download the supported STL, then check it in your resin slicer. Automatic supports are a starting point, not a print guarantee.
3:21 Next, open AI Photo and choose a style for your product image. You can present the model on its own, in a hand, or in another available setting.
3:31 Decide which appearance you want to present. A gray view is useful for an unpainted resin look. Use the textured PBR view when you want to show the model's colors.
3:42 For the colored version, return to PBR and choose a clear viewing angle. Frame the whole product, including its base, so the reference communicates the design you want to show.
3:54 Review the image against your model. Check the silhouette, colors, base, and small details. These are generated visualizations, so don't treat them as proof of an actual printed result.
4:07 You now have a model, print exports, and product images to review. In the next tutorial, we'll use this same project to prepare a listing and take it into the selling workflow.
An STL at a set print height, a multicolor 3MF with a limited filament palette, and a supported STL for resin printing. The STL contains the shape only; the 3MF carries the filament color regions.
No. Texture shading becomes a limited filament palette, so the print preview looks different from the textured model. Check small regions and color boundaries, and change or merge colors where needed.
No. The tutorial treats automatic supports as a starting point, not a print guarantee. Inspect the contact points and delicate features, then check the supported STL in your resin slicer.
No. They are generated visualizations. Review the silhouette, colors, base and small details against your model, and do not treat them as proof of a printed result.
Yes. The narration is available in English, Czech, French, Spanish, Japanese, Korean and German, with a transcript of each version. The recorded Printara interface stays in English.
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