Papercraft Generator: Unfold a 3D Model into Printable Paper Pieces
Upload a low-poly 3D model (OBJ, STL, GLB or GLTF) or pick a sample, set how many faces to keep and the paper size, and the generator unfolds it into flat pieces with glue tabs, matching edge numbers and mountain and valley fold lines. Print the pages at 100%, cut, score, fold and glue.
How to make papercraft from a 3D model
- 1
Add a model
Drop an OBJ, STL, GLB or GLTF file, or start with the fox head, the low-poly sphere or the house. Nothing is uploaded: the file is read in your browser.
- 2
Simplify it
Paper models need few faces. Set the face slider between 100 and 600; dense models are simplified to that count. Fewer faces means fewer, bigger pieces that are easier to fold.
- 3
Pick paper and size
Choose A4 or Letter, then fit the model to a number of pages or give its real size in mm. The pieces are unfolded and packed onto the pages for you.
- 4
Print and build
Print at 100% (check the 50 mm bar), or save as PDF from the print dialog. Cut the solid lines, score and fold the dashed ones, and glue each tab to the edge with the same number.
3D model to papercraft: how the unfolding works
A paper model is the surface of a 3D model cut open and laid flat. The generator decides where to cut, so that each piece lies flat without overlapping itself and fits on your paper.
| Faces and edges | The model is welded into one surface and every edge is found with the two faces that share it. Edges used by only one face (holes) or by three or more are cut, with a note. |
|---|---|
| Folds first | Pieces grow from the biggest faces, joining neighbours across the flattest edges first. Flat edges become folds, so sharp corners are where the cuts go. |
| Laid flat | Each new face is turned about the shared edge into the plane of the piece, so every paper triangle has exactly the lengths of the 3D one, at your scale. |
| No overlaps | Before a face is added, it is tested against the faces already on the piece (a 2D triangle test on a grid). If it would overlap, or the piece would outgrow the page, it starts or joins another piece instead. |
| Tabs and numbers | Each cut edge gets one trapezoid glue tab, on one side only, made shorter or moved to the other side when it would cover the piece. Both sides of the cut get the same number. |
| Mountain or valley | An edge that bends outward (convex) is a mountain fold; one that bends inward is a valley fold. They are drawn in different dash styles and colours, with a legend on every page. |
Tips for building your paper model
| Paper | Card stock of about 160-220 gsm holds its shape well. Thin printer paper is fine for a quick test build, but bigger models sag. |
|---|---|
| Printing | Print at 100% or "actual size", not "fit to page", and check the 50 mm bar with a ruler. Turn on "background graphics" if the colours are missing. |
| Score the folds | Run an empty ballpoint pen or a blunt knife along each fold line against a ruler before folding. Mountain folds point away from you, valley folds toward you. |
| Cut | A craft knife and a metal ruler give cleaner edges than scissors on small pieces. Cut the tabs too, then fold every line before you glue. |
| Glue | Use a thin PVA or tacky craft glue, or double-sided tape, and very little of it. Glue the edges in number order and close the last piece from the inside. |
| Faces | Start with 100-200 faces. More faces look smoother but make many tiny pieces; above about 40 pieces the build gets slow. |
Make a low-poly model to fold
No model yet? Describe an animal, a character or an object, or start from a photo, and get a 3D model with AI. Bring it back here and the face slider turns it into a foldable low-poly version. Want colours on the paper? Texture the model first. The AI tools use credits; this papercraft generator does not.