Our Story

When I bought my first CNC machine, I became obsessed with a specific kind of artwork.

At the time, I didn’t even know what it was called.

I searched for everything I could think of: CNC wall art, carved panels, relief carvings, decorative CNC files. Eventually, I kept running into two types of files over and over again: SVGs and STL files.

Once I understood the difference, everything clicked.

SVGs were mostly flat, 2D designs. STL files were true 3D models capable of creating the deep carved artwork I had imagined from the beginning. That discovery introduced me to the world of bas-relief carving, and I instantly knew I had found exactly what I was looking for.

My original goal was simple.

I wanted to carve a few pieces of artwork and sell them at my local farmer’s market.

So I bought my first relief STL file, loaded it into my software, and started carving. After plenty of mistakes, ruined boards, and trial and error, I finally finished my first successful relief cut completely on my own.

I was proud of it.

Then a friend asked me a question that completely changed everything:

“Are you even allowed to sell that?”

At first I laughed. Of course I could. I made it.

But then I checked the license.

Buried in the fine print was a restriction saying I could carve the file for personal use, but I could not legally sell anything made from it unless I purchased a separate commercial license.

The cost for that license was over $100.

And it wasn’t even exclusive.

That moment completely changed how I viewed the CNC STL market.

Everywhere I looked, licensing was confusing, inconsistent, vague, or hidden deep inside product descriptions. Some files included commercial rights. Others charged extra. Many barely explained the rules at all.

It became frustrating trying to answer what should have been a simple question:

“If I make this, am I allowed to sell it?”

Eventually, I stopped searching for better answers and decided to build the kind of store I wished existed when I started.

That idea became Form Arcade.

I started learning Blender and teaching myself 3D modeling from scratch. What began as a hobby quickly turned into months of studying shape, depth, texture, lighting, and how relief carvings actually translate through a CNC machine.

Slowly, I began building my own collection of relief STL files designed specifically for CNC carving.

But the mission behind Form Arcade stayed the same from the beginning:

Make commercial use simple.

Every STL file on Form Arcade includes commercial use rights because I believe the people spending the time, materials, machine wear, sanding, finishing, and craftsmanship to create physical artwork should be allowed to sell what they make.

No confusing upgrades.

No buried restrictions.

No guessing.

Just relief STL files made for CNC creators who want to carve real physical artwork and confidently sell the results.

Whether you’re carving your first relief panel or building a business around CNC art, thank you for being here.

I genuinely hope Form Arcade helps make your CNC journey a little easier, a little clearer, and a lot more creative.