Most 3D texture websites demand some form of fee or sign up for you to download texture maps. We totally get it; creating a good databank of textures takes time, effort, and money.
However, not all 3D artists have time for signups. Neither does everyone have the resources to go on a texture shopping spree. It’s likely that most beginners have not even gained enough confidence to pay for some image.
At any rate, you don’t have to pay for textures. This article is a shortcut to 5 archives that offer free 3D textures with no strings attached.
If you’re an aspiring 3D artist or game designer, these are perfect resources for playing and pushing your skills to the next level.
CCo textures
Getting premium-grade 3D textures at no cost is next to impossible. But with this site it’s a reality. Here you will find hundreds of PBR materials with resolutions of up to 8192px. In addition to all the necessary texture maps, you’ll find 3D models and archived substance Graphs (SBSARS), which you can use to customize materials and export them in higher resolutions.
CCo textures is funded by fans and does not ask for a dime or a login. Grab your texture pack and get to work.
Texture Haven
Another dock for getting free textures without subscriptions. Like CCo textures, Texture Haven does not compromise on quality. It takes one click to get an archived texture file with ambient occlusion, diffuse, normal, and roughness maps, in resolutions of up to 8K. The site is a good starting point for 3D artists who want to do architectural visualizations. However, it has a rather small library and you may not find your desired textures.
3DTotal
This old texture library also happens to be a rich log of reference images. There’s all manner of abstract and organic type of content. Textures and images are organized in folders and paths, making it easy for you to navigate. Images are royalty-free and high-res. The downside with this site is it does not offer complete texture map sets. You may have to make your own with tools like Materialize.
3Dtextures.me
A decent database of textures with loads of texture categories. If you are modeling interiors, exteriors, clothes, animals, robots, cars, and environment elements, you’re in luck. Files come with the following texture maps: Diffuse, Normal, Displacement, Roughness, Ambient Occlusion, and Subsurface Scattering.
Do note, however, you’re limited to a resolution of 1024×1024. This limitation is lifted when you join the patron league.
HDRI Haven
Nothing adds realism to your scene like a High Dynamic Range Image (HDRI). The authors at HDRI Haven know that. Their catalog of environment textures has over 350 HDRIs of up to 16K resolution.
HDRIs come with maximum lighting detail (dynamic range of 26 EVs). This means you can achieve extremely realistic lighting in your renders. All this at no cost. HDRI Haven thrives on monthly contributions from patrons.
Twitter
Facebook
Linkedin