Stereograms
Hidden 3D pictures: relax your eyes, look through the pattern and watch a shape float out of the screen. 6 original stereograms, each with an answer reveal, a printable version and the Opticalillusions.com mark.
New toolWeather stereogramType your ZIP code and get a stereogram that hides today’s weather and high temperature. Download or print it.Make yours
InteractiveStereograms · Free toolWeather 3DType your ZIP code and see today’s weather and high temperature hidden in a 3D picture.
InteractiveStereogramsHidden Heart StereogramA plump 3D heart floats in front of a pink and red pattern.
InteractiveStereogramsHidden Star StereogramA five-pointed 3D star hides in a gold and navy pattern.
InteractiveStereogramsHidden Rocket StereogramA 3D rocket with fins and a round window waits in a teal and orange pattern.
InteractiveStereogramsHidden Butterfly StereogramA 3D butterfly with bold wings is hidden in a bright blue and gold pattern.
InteractiveStereogramsHidden Eye StereogramA 3D eye stares back at you from a green and purple pattern.
InteractiveStereogramsHidden Planet StereogramA 3D ringed planet floats in a violet and orange space pattern.How to see a stereogram
A stereogram hides a 3D shape in a repeating pattern. You will not find it by looking harder. You find it by looking through the picture, as if it were a window and the shape were on the other side.
- Get comfortable. Sit about an arm’s length from the screen, or hold a print at reading distance. Make the picture as big as you can.
- Use the two dots. Each picture has two white dots in the dark strip at the bottom. Look at the space between them and let your eyes relax and drift apart, as if gazing at something far away. You will see the two dots double into four.
- Make three dots. Keep relaxing until the middle two dots slide together into one, so you see three dots in a row. Hold that.
- Slowly look up. Without changing your focus, move your gaze up into the pattern. After a few seconds the pattern seems to split into layers and the shape floats out.
- Explore. Once you have it, you can look around the picture and the shape stays. Blink or refocus and it goes away; relax again to bring it back.
Other ways in
- Nose to the screen: bring your face close so everything is blurry, then back away very slowly without trying to focus.
- Reflection trick: on a glossy screen or a framed print, focus on your own reflection, then let the pattern come into focus behind it.
- Give it time: most people need a few tries spread over a few minutes. Take breaks if your eyes feel tired.
Still nothing?
That is common. Every picture has a Reveal the hidden shape button so you can see the answer and try again knowing what to look for. Some people cannot see stereograms at all, often because one eye does most of the work. That is normal and nothing to worry about. If you wear reading glasses, try with and without them.
How stereograms work
Your eyes sit a couple of inches apart, so each sees the world from a slightly different angle, and your brain turns that difference into depth. A stereogram hides that difference inside a repeating pattern: where the hidden shape should stand out, the pattern repeats a little sooner. When your eyes drift apart and lock onto neighboring copies, the closer spacing reads as nearer, and the shape rises from the page. Read more on any stereogram page.
Prints and merch
Every stereogram page has Download and Print buttons for home and classroom use. Stereogram tees, mugs and posters are on their way to our shop. Browse the shop for illusion designs you can order today.