Dreaming of your own texture roller for polymer clay that perfectly matches your style? You don’t have to buy ready-made tools – you can design a custom texture roller in Blender using any PNG image: a pattern, illustration, logo or a simple hand-drawn sketch.
In this tutorial I show you how to turn a flat graphic into a 3D roller with a raised or recessed pattern, perfect for polymer clay, other modelling clays, fondant or dough. The whole process happens in Blender, a powerful and free 3D program.
Watch the tutorial – How to Create a Texture Roller From ANY PNG in Blender (Full Tutorial)
In this video, I walk you step by step through the process of taking a PNG image and turning it into a 3D texture roller in Blender – from scene setup and pattern preparation to a finished STL file ready for 3D printing:
Why PNG works great for texture roller design
A texture roller usually starts as a flat image. This can be:
- a simple repeating pattern (dots, waves, grids, floral motifs),
- a hand-drawn sketch scanned and saved as PNG,
- icons and elements from graphic packs,
- a logo or signature shape for your brand.
PNG is convenient because you can prepare it in almost any graphics app. In Blender, we turn this image into a height map or use it as a base to sculpt a raised pattern on the surface of the roller. This allows you to build a full cylinder covered with a seamless repeating texture from a single PNG file.
Workflow overview: from PNG to a 3D texture roller
1. Preparing the PNG pattern
First, we choose or create a suitable pattern. Good candidates are:
- black-and-white or high-contrast graphics,
- seamless/repeating patterns – easy to wrap around a cylinder,
- drawings with clear lines, without too many tiny details.
You can draw these patterns yourself on an iPad (Procreate, Affinity Designer) or in any simple graphics editor.
2. Importing the pattern into Blender
Next, we bring the PNG into Blender. Depending on the method, you can:
- use it as a texture on a flat mesh and convert it into a relief,
- use it with a Displace modifier to sculpt the surface,
- treat it as a visual reference for manual modelling.
The key is to get a clean and readable 3D pattern that will look good once it’s wrapped around the roller.
3. Creating the base roller (cylinder)
We start with a simple cylinder – this is the base of the texture roller. We define:
- the length of the roller (for example 6–10 cm for polymer clay),
- the diameter so it fits comfortably in your hand,
- a smooth starting surface for applying the pattern.
4. Wrapping the pattern around the cylinder
This is where the magic happens: we wrap the PNG-based pattern around the cylinder, turning it into a 3D texture. In the tutorial, I show how to:
- match the scale of the pattern to the circumference of the roller,
- keep the pattern seamless so the joints are not visible,
- set the right depth/height so the texture prints well and leaves a clear mark in clay.
5. Optimizing the texture roller model
It’s a good idea to slightly optimize the finished mesh so that:
- the model is lighter and easier to handle,
- the slicer and printer don’t struggle with overly dense geometry,
- edges of the pattern remain crisp without unnecessary noise.
6. STL export and 3D print prep
Finally:
- we check that the model is manifold (no holes or open edges),
- export the roller as an .stl file,
- load it into your slicer (Cura, Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, etc.).
3D printing tips for Blender texture rollers
- Filament: PLA or PLA+ – stiff, easy to print and perfect for clay tools.
- Layer height: 0.12–0.2 mm – lower layer height gives cleaner, more visible detail.
- Walls & infill: 3–4 perimeters and around 20–40% infill for a solid roller.
- Orientation: often printed on its side with supports, or vertically if you have a solid base and good adhesion.
- Post-processing: light sanding can smooth sharp edges and improve the feel of the roller on clay.
What can you use a Blender texture roller for?
- adding texture to polymer clay slabs for earrings, bracelets, pendants and charms,
- creating interesting backgrounds behind geometric or floral shapes,
- branding with logos, initials or signature motifs,
- patterns for cookies, fondant or decorative dough (if your material choice is food-safe),
- experimenting with different styles – from minimal dots to detailed ornamental designs.
Summary – from PNG to a 3D texture roller in Blender
Combining a simple PNG pattern with the power of Blender opens up huge possibilities for polymer clay and 3D-printing creators. In just a few steps, you can turn almost any graphic into a physical tool that changes the way you design jewelry and decorative pieces.
If you want to grow your studio and make your work stand out, it’s worth learning this workflow. Watch the tutorial, grab a few of your favourite PNGs, test different patterns – you’ll be surprised how much impact one good texture roller can have on a whole collection.