From Pet Photo to Stunning HueForge Wall Art

Sometimes the best 3D prints start with a simple photograph.

We were recently given this beautiful photo of a family pet and thought it would make a perfect candidate for a custom HueForge print.

Starting with the original photo

The original image had plenty of character, but it also included a busy background. For a HueForge, that extra detail can distract from the main subject and make it harder to achieve a clean, striking result.

So the first step was to remove the entire background, leaving just the dog as the focus of the image.

This immediately gave us a much stronger starting point and allowed us to concentrate on the details that mattered most — the eyes, fur, nose, and ears.

Preparing the image for HueForge

Once the background had been removed, we processed the image specifically for HueForge.

Rather than trying to reproduce every photographic colour exactly, the image was simplified into a carefully chosen range of tones that would work well when printed in layers.

We used a dark background to create contrast, then built the dog up using different shades through the coat, shadows and highlights.

The result is a layered effect that gives the finished print far more depth than you might expect from something that is only a few millimetres thick.

The finished HueForge

The finished print completely transforms the original photograph.

The black background makes the dog stand out immediately, while the different brown, tan and light tones bring out the texture of the fur and the expression in the face.

Details such as the eyes, nose, ears, paws and harness all remain recognisable, giving the finished piece a very distinctive illustrated appearance while still clearly capturing the original pet.

And, as with our other HueForge prints, the colours are created using different layers of filament — the image is not painted afterwards.

Turn your own photo into a HueForge

One of the things we enjoy most about HueForge is being able to take an ordinary photograph and turn it into something completely different.

Pet photos work particularly well, but the same process can also be used for:

• Family photographs
• Cars and motorbikes
• Buildings and landmarks
• Memorial pieces
• Artwork
• Sports images
• Favourite holiday photos

If the original image has a distracting background, we can also look at removing or simplifying it before creating the HueForge, just as we did with this one.

If you have a favourite photo that you think would look great as 3D printed wall art, send it through to and we can see what we can create.