3D Print Helper

Since 3D printers cost a lot of money and are rather inaccessible to a lot of people, alternatives to creating 3D prints appear from time to time.

One of the most effective and simple solutions to get a 3D print is to create an anamorphic image. Anamorphosis is a type of perspective distortion that is applied to an object and requires you to view it from a certain vantage point in order to understand it.

3D Print Helper is a highly comprehensive application that allows you to create and print these kinds of illusions or distortions. It displays a user-friendly interface which makes its use a cinch, regardless of your computer use experience.

It allows you to load images from your computer choose the type of paper background you want, adjust their position and and size on paper, preview the result and then print it. Everything about 3D Print Helper’s use is straightforward and intuitively created. There are no complicated settings in which you can get lost or confused.

The loaded image can be resized by pulling on the corners and margins but there is a slight problem with this. Since the success of the print relies on creating a distortion in the perspective, when you resize the image, there is no lock on its aspect ratio. This means means that while you are changing its size, you can pull on the height a bit more than you want and thus potentially ruining the outcome.

You also get a ‘Design Paper’ feature which allows you to choose between three types of perspectives in which you can print the image. It allows you to change the perspective and field of view, so you know exactly the angle from which to observe the final result.

3D Print Helper then generates a preview of the print and allows you to either print it or save it in JPG, PNG, GIF or BMP format in case you want to go print it somewhere in very high quality for a more realistic effect.

A thing that you really need to take into consideration is the fact that all the images you load need to be in PNG or a similar format that does not contain the background when it is loaded. Basically, for this to work you need just the object with a shadow.

In closing, 3D Print Helper is a really fun tool to have around and with a little practice you can certainly obtain some great results.