Inserts and organisers
Trace tools, tags or components laid out on the sheet, then cut matching pockets in a drawer or case insert with a small clearance.
Get the exact outline of any part from one photo
Print the sheet, put your part on it and take a photo. Printforge flattens the picture to real millimetres and traces the part's edge, holes included, ready for CAD, a cutter or your slicer. Free, no account, and your photo never leaves your device.
Step 1
Print the backdrop sheet
Print at 100% / actual size (not “fit to page”) on matte paper, then check the scale bar with a ruler. Tape it flat to a table.
Download A4 green sheet (PDF)Step 2
Photograph your part and upload it
- Hold the camera directly above the sheet, as far back as you can, and zoom in.
- Keep all eight black-and-white markers in frame, in focus and uncovered.
- Use soft, even light. Avoid hard shadows and glare.
Your photo is processed in your browser and is never uploaded.
Tracing options
What it is good for
Replacement and fitted parts
Copy the footprint of a bracket, cover, gasket or mounting plate, including the hole positions, then build a new part from the outline.
Templates, stencils and jigs
Print the STL as a flat template, or take the SVG to a cutter for stencils, guides and drilling jigs that match the real object.
Outline sheet questions
How does a photo become a real-size outline?
The sheet carries eight printed markers at known positions. The tool finds them in your photo, works out the camera angle, flattens the picture into a true top-down view in millimetres, then traces everything on the sheet that is not the backdrop colour.
Is my photo uploaded anywhere?
No. The tracing runs inside your browser, on your device. The photo is not sent to Printforge or anyone else. Only the one-off download of the tracing engine, about 10 MB, comes from this site, and your browser keeps a copy for next time.
How accurate is it?
It depends on printing the sheet at 100%, keeping the paper flat and taking a sharp photo from directly above. Every result shows a calibration error in millimetres so you can judge that photo, and warns you when markers are hidden, the camera is tilted or the part touches a marker. Always print a quick test piece before committing to a long print.
Why must I print at 100% / actual size?
The markers are a known size on paper, and the tool uses that size to measure everything else. If your printer shrinks the page to fit, every dimension shrinks with it. Check the scale bar printed on the sheet with a ruler before you start. If your printer still changed the size, enter the real length of the bar under Tracing options and every measurement is corrected.
What about tall or rounded parts?
A camera looking down sees the top edge of a tall part slightly larger than its footprint on the sheet. Shoot from as far back as you can and zoom in, or measure the part at the height that matters. Flat parts such as plates, brackets, gaskets and tool shadows trace most precisely.
Which backdrop colour should I use?
Choose a colour your part is not. Green and blue give the strongest separation for most parts. Grey and white use less ink. Use soft, even light so shadows do not look like part of the object.
What can I do with the outline?
Import the SVG or DXF into CAD, a slicer or a cutting machine, or print the STL directly as a template. Common uses are drawer and case inserts, gaskets, brackets, jigs, stencils and replacement covers. Add a clearance offset when the new part needs to fit over or around the original.
More tools for makers and print shops
Turn an outline into a product with the cookie cutter generator, or price customer work with the same platform used for quotes, jobs and invoices.