In many creator apps (e.g. Keychain Creator, Pendant Creator), the use of grayscale is either optional or automatically built-in for advanced users who want to create products with greater detail and artistry. Grayscale enables you to vary the thickness of your design by designating black as 100% of your thickness (e.g. 3mm), white as 0% of your thickness, and grays representing everything in between:
For example, in this pendant, the petals of the flowery design are colored in gray as opposed to white or black. A medium color gray was chosen, and you can see in the resulting 3D pendant the contrast in thicknesses.
It’s important to keep in mind that when using grayscale, the minimum thickness of your pendant is dependent on the lightest shade of gray you use in your 2D design. So if you are designing for Versatile Plastic, the minimum thin wall of the lightest gray part of your design must be 0.7mm.
Also remember that if you select a polished finish, the details will be slightly softer than unpolished materials.
Shapeways 3D tools are a great way to check if your model’s wall thickness is appropriate for the material you are printing in.