Custom figurines · 2026
Custom figurines made from your photos
How do you turn a photo into a custom figurine?
Turning a photo into a figurine takes a 3D model: a maker who does modelling sculpts it digitally from your photos (or from a 3D scan), shows you the model to approve, and then it's printed, almost always in resin. Most of the price is the modelling, not the printing: printing a 20 cm figure costs between €21 and €55. On Fabrishare, a network of makers, you post your photos for free and get offers within 24–48 hours.
How a custom figurine is made, step by step
From photo to figurine in five stages. The two that take the most time and money are the modelling and, if you want it painted, the finish.
| Stage | Who | What happens | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Photos and details | You | You send the photos, height, pose, style and finish | How clear the photos are |
| 2. 3D modelling | The maker | Sculpts the figure digitally from your photos or a scan | Detail, style and how many people it includes |
| 3. Review | You | You see the model in screenshots or a viewer and ask for changes | The rounds of changes you agree |
| 4. Printing | The maker | In resin: about 4 hours of machine time for a 20 cm figure | The figure's height |
| 5. Finishing | The maker | Removes supports, sands, primes and, if you ask, paints it | Whether you want it painted |
Which custom figurine styles can you order?
Big-head or chibi
Big head, small body, about 10 cm tall. The most popular gift: people are recognised by their most striking features (hair, glasses, beard, clothes), so it works very well from photos.
3D figure printingRealistic
True proportions and a recognisable face. It's the style that takes the most modelling hours; with a 3D scan of the person, a likeness is much easier.
Caricature
Features exaggerated for fun. It gives the sculptor more freedom: say which features you want played up and which not.
Pets
Your dog or cat as a figurine. A pet won't sit still for a scan, so it's modelled from photos: send plenty, with markings and coat patterns clearly visible.
Couples and wedding cake toppers
The couple for the cake, or a pair for an anniversary. Among the requests on record is a custom big-head figure for a wedding cake topper. Resin isn't food-safe: the topper sits on a base that keeps it off the sponge.
Custom cake toppersFrom a 3D scan
If you get scanned (in a studio or with a photogrammetry app on your phone), the maker starts from your real shape: a closer likeness and fewer sculpting hours.
3D printed busts
What photos and details should you send?
The better what you send, the less the sculptor has to guess and the fewer rounds of changes you need.
- 1
At least three photos
Front, side and back, in natural light with no filters, taken at face height. For a group, separate photos of each person.
- 2
The final height
In centimetres or millimetres. A 10 cm big-head figure and a 20 cm figure are very different in work and in price.
- 3
Pose, clothes and colours
How you want it (standing, sitting, holding something) and what it's wearing. If you want it painted, the colour of each part.
- 4
A style reference
An image of the style you like helps the sculptor a lot. It's a reference for the style, not a model to copy.
- 5
The finish and the date
Unpainted, primed for you to paint, or hand-painted, and when you need it.
How much does a custom figurine cost?
There are two parts, and the first weighs most. Modelling is charged for the sculptor's work: it depends on the detail, the style, how many people or animals it includes and the rounds of changes. There's no price list: each maker quotes it after seeing your photos.
Printing costs the same as for any figure: between €21 and €55 for a 20 cm resin figure, and between €15 and €40 for a 75 mm bust, excluding VAT and shipping. Hand painting is quoted separately.
Of the 110 requests registered on Fabrishare between May and October 2026, 6 came without a file and needed modelling or scanning. The one with the highest stated budget, €150–€500, was a decorative figure to be modelled from scratch.
Ask for the modelling and printing to be quoted separately, and agree whether you get the file: if you have it, a second copy (one for each grandparent, say) costs only the printing.
From photos or from a 3D scan?
From photos
The maker sculpts the figure in modelling software, working from your photos. It's an interpretation: the likeness depends on their skill and on the photos you give them. It works very well for big-head figures, caricatures and pets, where the most recognisable features count.
From a 3D scan
A scan captures the real shape of the face and body. It's done with a scanner in a studio or, less precisely, with a photogrammetry app that combines dozens of photos taken around the person. The model comes out with holes and noise and needs cleaning up, but the starting likeness is exact.
Loose hair, glasses and shiny surfaces scan worst: the sculptor rebuilds them by hand.
How long does a custom figurine take?
Offers arrive within 24–48 hours. After that, the timing depends mainly on the modelling: how much detail there is, the maker's queue and how quickly you reply to each review, because every round of changes waits for your answer.
Printing is the quick part: a 20 cm resin figure takes about 4 hours of machine time, plus washing, curing and support removal. If you want it painted, add the days for painting and drying.
If it's for a date (a wedding, a birthday), say so in the project: each offer gives its lead time and you choose one that arrives in time.
Who can a figurine be of?
You, your family, your partner or your pet: no problem. Someone else, with their permission: a figurine of a friend as a gift is the usual case.
What isn't ordered is a copy of a figure sold in shops, or a copyrighted character modelled to pass off as your own. For an anime, film or video game character, start from a file whose licence allows it to be printed.
When you post the project you confirm you have the right to order it, and the maker can turn down anything that doesn't.
How to order your custom figurine
- 1Post your project for free with your photos, the height, the style and the finish you want.
- 2Makers in the network who do modelling send their offers within 24–48 hours, with modelling and printing priced separately and the lead time.
- 3You choose, approve the model, and the maker prints the figurine and ships it to you.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a custom figurine cost?
There's no price list: the modelling is quoted on detail and style, and it's the biggest part. Printing a 20 cm resin figure costs between €21 and €55, and a 75 mm bust between €15 and €40, excluding VAT and shipping. Painting is extra.
Can a figurine be made from a single photo?
It can, but the sculptor will have to invent what can't be seen. With three photos (front, side and back) the likeness is much better and fewer rounds of changes are needed.
Can I order a Funko-style figure of my family?
Yes: big head, small body and about 10 cm tall, modelled from your photos. It's the most popular style for gifts. What isn't reproduced is the brand's logo or box.
Will I see the model before it's printed?
Yes, and you should ask for it: the maker shows you the model in screenshots or a 3D viewer and you make changes before printing. Agree in the offer how many rounds of changes are included.
Can I get it painted?
Yes, if the maker paints: ask in the project and it's quoted separately. You can also have it primed, ready for you to paint.
Can you make a figurine of my pet?
Yes. Send plenty of photos from several sides, at eye level, with coat markings clearly visible. Pets are modelled from photos because they won't sit still for a scan.
Do I get to keep the 3D file?
It depends on what you agree with the maker: ask before accepting the offer. If they give it to you, you can reprint the figure or order copies paying only for the printing.
Can I have a figure I saw in a shop copied?
No. Copies of commercial figures aren't ordered, nor are copyrighted characters modelled to pass off as your own. For a character, look for a file whose licence allows printing.
How long does it take?
Offers arrive within 24–48 hours. After that, the modelling and reviews take the longest; printing a 20 cm figure is about 4 hours of machine time, and painting adds days. Each offer states its lead time.