How to Turn Your Pet's Photo into a 3D Printed Figurine

My dog Henry has a habit of tilting his head sideways whenever someone says "walk" or "treat" or, honestly, any word with more than two syllables. I've taken hundreds of photos of that head tilt, but none of them quite capture the full charm of it. The way his ears flop unevenly, the slight lean of his whole body -- it's a three-dimensional thing, and photos flatten it.

That's what got me into 3D printing pet figurines. A printed model on my desk captures Henry's personality in a way a framed photo never could. You can pick it up, turn it around, and see every angle of the animal you love.

This guide covers the full process: photographing your pet for the best results, converting that photo into a 3D model, and printing a figurine you'll actually want to display.

Why Create a 3D Pet Figurine?

The most meaningful reason is the simplest one: pets don't live as long as we'd like. A 3D figurine preserves their likeness in a way that feels more present than a photograph. You can hold it. It sits on your shelf and catches your eye throughout the day. For anyone who has lost a pet, a well-made figurine can be a genuinely comforting memorial piece.

But you don't need a sad reason to make one. Pet figurines make fantastic gifts -- the kind of thoughtful, personal present that people keep forever. Imagine giving your mom a miniature of her golden retriever, or surprising your roommate with a tiny version of their cat.

They're also surprisingly versatile. A figurine works as a desk companion at work, a holiday ornament, a cake topper for a pet-themed party, or a bookend. Print multiple copies so family in different cities each gets one. Some people print figurines of all their pets over the years and arrange them together -- a little sculptural family portrait.

The process has gotten dramatically easier. You no longer need sculpting software or expensive professional scans. A single good photo and the right tools are all it takes.

Pet Photography Masterclass

The quality of your figurine depends almost entirely on the quality of your starting photo. Solid photography fundamentals matter for any 3D conversion, but pets bring their own unique challenges. Different animals need different approaches.

Photographing Dogs

Dogs are generally the easiest pets to photograph for 3D conversion because they're trainable and many will hold a position for treats.

Timing matters. Photograph your dog after a walk or play session. A tired dog is a cooperative dog. Trying to get a crisp shot of a border collie who just woke up from a nap is an exercise in frustration.

Get down to their level. Kneel or lie on the ground so the camera is at your dog's eye height. Shooting from above creates a distorted perspective that carries through to the 3D model.

Best poses for dogs:

• Sitting upright -- The classic. Shows head, chest, and front legs clearly. Works for almost every breed.
• Standing in profile -- Great for dogs with distinctive body shapes (dachshunds, greyhounds, bulldogs). Have someone hold a treat at nose height off to one side.
• Lying with head up -- Relaxed and natural. Works especially well for larger dogs. Make sure all four legs are visible and not tucked completely underneath.

What to avoid: Mid-run action shots might look exciting, but motion blur and awkward leg positions make terrible 3D models. Skip extreme close-ups of just the face -- you need the full body in frame.

Use treats held just above the camera lens to get that alert, ears-up expression. A squeaky toy works too, but you've got about two seconds before they lunge for it.

Photographing Cats

Cats are a different challenge entirely. You can't really direct them, so you need to work with their natural behavior instead.

Catch them in a lounging spot. Most cats have a favorite perch, windowsill, or corner of the couch where they settle in and stay put. That's your studio. Don't try to move them to a "better" location -- they'll just leave.

Window light is your best friend. Cats near a window get beautiful, even lighting that reveals fur texture and color accurately. Avoid using your phone's flash, which flattens their features and creates harsh shadows.

Getting the alert look: Cats with ears perked forward and eyes engaged look dramatically better as figurines than sleepy cats. Use a feather wand held just above your camera to get that focused expression. A small, unusual sound -- crinkle a wrapper, click your tongue -- right before you snap works well too.

What to avoid: A cat curled into a tight ball produces a shapeless blob as a 3D model -- you lose all the body definition. Try catching them right as they wake up and stretch, or while sitting upright watching birds through a window.

Photographing Small Pets

Rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, birds, and other small pets are the trickiest subjects because they're small (obviously), easily spooked, and often live in cages that create visual clutter.

Use zoom instead of proximity. Getting your phone six inches from a hamster's face will terrify it. Stand a couple of feet back and use your phone's zoom. You'll get a calmer animal and a more natural-looking photo.

Get them on a solid surface. Photographs taken through cage bars are useless for 3D conversion. Place small pets on a clean, flat surface with a simple background. A plain table with a solid-colored cloth works perfectly. For birds, a plain perch outside the cage is ideal.

Lighting is critical. Small details like whiskers, feather patterns, and tiny paws need good light to show up in the photo. Natural light near a window is best. If you're photographing a dark-colored pet, make sure the background isn't also dark or you'll lose edge definition.

Be patient and use burst mode. Small pets rarely hold still for long. Set your camera to burst mode (hold down the shutter button on most phones) and take dozens of shots. You only need one good one.

General Photography Tips for Any Pet

No matter what animal you're working with, these fundamentals apply:

• Whole body visible. Every paw, ear, and tail needs to be in the frame. A hidden leg means the AI has to guess what's there.
• Clean, simple background. A cluttered background confuses the AI model extraction. A plain wall, a solid-colored blanket, or grass works great.
• Natural lighting. Outdoor shade or a bright room with window light. Avoid direct harsh sunlight (creates strong shadows) and flash (flattens everything).
• Sharp focus. Tap on your pet's face on your phone screen to lock focus there. If the photo is blurry, the model will be soft.
• Shoot slightly more than you think you need. Take 20-30 photos in a session. You're looking for one frame where the pose, focus, expression, and lighting all come together.

Converting Your Pet Photo to 3D

Once you've got a photo you're happy with, the conversion process itself is straightforward. Here's how it works in Image to 3D:

Pick your single best photo. Find the one where your pet's body is most clearly visible, the lighting is even, and the focus is sharp. Don't stress about "perfect" -- a good one is plenty. For a refresher on what makes photos convert well, check the complete photo guide.

Open the app and select your photo. Tap the camera or gallery option on the home screen, select your pet photo, and you're ready to go.

Choose your quality tier. For pet figurines, I'd strongly recommend the Ultra tier (Hunyuan3D v3, 5 credits). Fur and feather detail is exactly the kind of fine surface texture where Ultra's higher quality makes a visible difference. Quick mode (2 credits) works for a fast preview to check whether your photo converts well, and Standard (4 credits) is a good middle ground. But for a figurine you plan to print and display, Ultra is worth it.

Preview and inspect the model. Rotate the 3D model in the viewer and check the details. Do the ears look right? Is the tail there? Are all four legs properly formed? If something looks off, try a different source photo -- sometimes a slightly different angle makes all the difference.

Export for printing. Export as GLB for a textured model you can bring into slicing software. If you want to preview the figurine on your actual desk first, export as USDZ and use your phone's AR viewer -- it's surprisingly useful for deciding on scale. For more on formats, see the file format comparison guide.

3D Printing Your Pet Figurine

With your exported model in hand, it's time to print. Whether you own a printer or plan to use a service, here's what you need to know.

Choosing Your Material

PLA (Polylactic Acid) -- The default choice for most people. Easy to print, widely available, good detail, and comes in virtually every color. The main downside is heat sensitivity (don't leave your figurine on a sunny dashboard). For pet figurines, PLA is perfectly fine and the most forgiving to work with.

Resin (SLA/DLP) -- The best option for fine detail on small figurines. Resin captures fur texture and whiskers significantly better than filament printers, especially at small scales. The tradeoff is more post-processing (washing and UV curing) and messier materials. If you're printing a figurine under 3 inches, resin will look noticeably better.

PETG -- More durable than PLA with better heat resistance. Worth considering if the figurine will live somewhere warm or if you want something tougher for a desk toy you'll actually handle.

Print Settings for Good Detail

Pet figurines have fine features -- thin ears, spindly legs, tails -- that need the right settings to come out well.

• Layer height: 0.08-0.12mm. Lower layer heights mean finer detail. For a figurine you'll display up close, 0.08mm is ideal if your printer can handle it reliably. 0.12mm is a good balance between detail and print time.
• Infill: 15-20%. You don't need a solid figurine, but too little infill can make thin features fragile. 15% is fine for shelf display; go to 20% if you want something sturdier.
• Supports: Yes, absolutely. Pet figurines have overhangs everywhere -- under the chin, between the legs, the tail. Use tree supports if your slicer offers them; they're easier to remove and leave fewer marks on the surface.
• Print speed: Slow it down. Reducing speed by 20-30% from your normal settings helps with small details and thin features.

Choosing the Right Size

• Desk size (3-4 inches / 7-10cm): Perfect for a monitor stand or desk. Small enough to be unobtrusive, large enough to see detail. This is the most popular size.
• Shelf display (5-6 inches / 12-15cm): A good size for a bookshelf or mantel. Details are clearly visible from a few feet away.
• Bookend size (7-8 inches / 18-20cm): Makes a real statement piece. At this scale, even FDM printers produce impressive detail.

When in doubt, start with a small test print at 2 inches to check how the details come out before committing to a longer, larger print.

Post-Processing

Support removal. Take your time. Flush cutters work better than snapping supports off. For areas near delicate features like ears or tails, use a craft knife to trim supports flush with the surface.

Sanding. Start with 150-grit for rough spots, then work up to 400-grit. For resin prints, wet sanding with 600-grit gives a beautiful surface.

Painting (optional). Acrylic paints work well on both PLA and resin. Use a primer coat first, build up thin layers of color, and finish with a matte clear coat. Even just painting the eyes and nose adds a lot of life to an unpainted figurine.

Sealing. A clear matte or satin spray coat protects the surface and evens out the finish, whether you've painted or not.

No 3D Printer? No Problem

You don't need to own a printer. Online services like Shapeways and Craftcloud accept 3D model uploads and ship finished prints to your door. Export GLB or OBJ from Image to 3D, upload to the service, choose your material and size, and they handle the rest. It costs more than printing yourself, but some services offer materials (like full-color sandstone or metal) that home printers can't match.

Pawtograph: The Perfect Companion App

If you're the kind of person who takes way too many photos of your pet (guilty), you might want to check out Pawtograph. It's built specifically for pet photography and makes it easy to organize and showcase your best pet shots. It's a great companion to Image to 3D -- use Pawtograph to build a collection of your pet's best moments, then pull the standout photos into Image to 3D whenever you want to create a new figurine. Between the two apps, you'll have both the digital and physical sides of pet memorabilia covered.

Creative Gift Ideas

A 3D printed pet figurine is one of those gifts that makes people emotional in the best way. Here are some ideas beyond the standard desk display:

Memorial gifts. If someone you care about has recently lost a pet, a figurine made from one of their favorite photos is an incredibly thoughtful gesture. People who receive these tend to treasure them.

Birthday or holiday presents. A miniature of someone's pet is the kind of unexpected, personalized gift that always lands. Print it small enough to hang on a Christmas tree, or big enough for a prominent shelf spot.

Wedding cake toppers. Lots of couples want their pets represented at their wedding. A pair of pet figurines on top of the cake (or next to the human figures) is a fun, personal touch.

New pet welcome gift. Know someone who just adopted? A figurine of their new family member is a sweet way to celebrate.

Pet portrait series. If you've had multiple pets over the years, printing figurines of each one and displaying them together creates a beautiful, tangible timeline of your life with animals.

Go Make One

The whole process -- from snapping photos to holding a finished figurine -- is more accessible than it's ever been. You don't need photography expertise, 3D modeling skills, or even your own printer. A good photo, a few taps in Image to 3D, and either a home printer or an online service gets you there.

Start with your best existing pet photo and do a Quick conversion to see how it turns out. Once you see your pet rendered in 3D for the first time, you'll probably want to try a few different photos and poses. That's the fun part.

Image to 3D is available on both iOS and Android. Grab it, photograph your pet, and make something you'll keep on your desk for years.