How can I create realistic relief images using AI tools?

Realism in a relief comes from three things: a true 16-bit grayscale depth map (not an 8-bit file upscaled on export), a metric depth model that preserves relative distances in millimetres, and a non-linear remap curve that lifts facial features without crushing the background. Depth-Map.com writes 16-bit natively, uses a metric Depth Anything V3 model, and exposes gamma plus background-flatten sliders so the mid-tones stay separated.

Why is the brightest pixel not 65535?

65535 means 10 mm. A 3 mm relief is stored in the lower part of that range, so the peak is 19661. The file is still 16-bit grayscale.

How do I verify the download is really 16-bit?

Run `identify -verbose file.png` (ImageMagick) and check `Depth: 16-bit`. Photoshop reads it under Image → Mode → Grayscale (16 bits/channel). An 8-bit upscale from another tool will show 8 bits under both checks.

Can LightBurn open the file?

Yes, as a grayscale PNG on a 3D Sliced image layer. Set the physical size in LightBurn to match the part. The /for/lightburn-3d-sliced page has starting values for brass, silver, stainless, aluminum, and copper.

My engrave shows horizontal topography lines. What went wrong?

Almost always an 8-bit input or an 8-bit intermediate. 256 steps on a 3 mm cut is 0.012 mm per step — three times the laser beam diameter, so the staircase burns in. Re-export from this page and verify with ImageMagick before running the full job.

16-bit depth

16-bit Depth Map Generator

The lion file is grayscale, 16 bits per pixel. Full scale is 10 mm, so the 3 mm export peaks at 19661, not 65535.

Grayscale · 16-bit · 3 mm depth · 10 mm full scale

By Depth-Map.com TeamLast tested 2026-11-10Verified on LightBurn 1.6, ImageMagick 7.1, Photoshop 2025Lion export verified as 16-bit grayscale with `identify -verbose`

65,536 grayscale levels — the right default for LightBurn 3D Sliced, Carveco, ArtCAM.

Preview

Lion medallion

Parameters

preset: 16-bit

Max depth3.0 mm

Base thickness1.0 mm

Long side40 mm

Invert

Local adjustments

Gamma1.00

Flatten background0.00

Crop0%

Depth map ready

Export

Sliders rewrite this result locally. PNG and STL match the preview.

This sample

Brass lion medallion photograph — Photograph

16-bit depth map of the lion at 3 mm — 16-bit PNG at 3 mm

Clay relief preview of the lion — Relief preview

Four steps

1
Upload
The lion sample is loaded. Replace it with your own photo when you want a new field.
2
Generate
The server returns one 16-bit field. The raw lion file spans the full 0–65535 range.
3
Set depth
The depth slider writes that height into a 10 mm scale. 3 mm and 0.8 mm are different files.
4
Download
The PNG matches the depth view. Dragging the slider does not start another generation.

Questions

LightBurn settings

Starting power and frequency for brass and the other common metals.

16-bit and 8-bit

Why 256 levels show up as steps on a deep engrave.

A new photo is one upload.

Generate sends it once. Depth, invert, gamma, and crop then stay in the browser. The sample on this page is already a real file.

16-bit Depth Map Generator