Tesla Model 3 wraps for the 2017 to 2023 Model 3: free Paint Shop designs

Tesla built the original Model 3 from 2017 to 2023, and it has its own Paint Shop template. A wrap made for the 2024 Highland won't sit right on it, because the two cars have different noses and different tails. If your Model 3 is a 2023 or older, you need a wrap built for the original.

This guide shows you how to tell which Model 3 you have, the designs that suit the original's rounder shape, and free wraps made for it that you can upload tonight.

How to tell an original Model 3 from a Highland

Three quick checks, and any one of them settles it:

• Model year. 2017 to 2023 in North America is the original. 2024 and newer is the Highland.
• The nose. The original has a rounded front with two small fog-light pockets low in the bumper. The Highland's nose is smooth and lower, with no fog-light pockets.
• The headlights. The original's headlights are taller and rounder. The Highland's are slim and sharp.

In the studio the original is listed as Model 3 Pre-2024 (Original), and the car preview shows its shape before you start.

Why the original needs its own wrap file

Paint Shop paints the 3D car on your screen from one flat image. Every panel has a fixed spot on that image, and the Highland refresh moved the spots at the front and rear.

Put a Highland wrap on an original Model 3 and the doors usually look fine while the ends don't: a stripe stops short of the nose, or a graphic slides onto the bumper. It works the other way round too. That's why every design below was generated on the original template, not converted from a Highland file.

Designs that suit the original Model 3

The original's rounder front and taller headlights soften hard-edged designs, so solid colors, clean two-tones and long stripes look best. Busy all-over patterns work, but they hide the shape.

Midnight teal two-tone

The newest design for the original Model 3: deep gloss teal over every panel, a satin black roof line and one thin copper pinstripe along each side. It reads as a factory color from 10 feet away. Get Midnight Teal Two-Tone for the original Model 3.

Satin stealth black

Satin black is the most requested Model 3 look, and on the original it makes the rounder nose look lower and tighter. Try Satin Stealth Black.

Liquid chrome

Mirror silver catches every light on the original's curved hood and fenders. Liquid Chrome for the original Model 3 is one of the most downloaded Model 3 wraps in the gallery.

Racing stripes

Two wide stripes from the nose over the roof to the trunk suit the Model 3's long, flat roofline. Silver Racing Heritage is satin silver with gloss black stripes. Street Racer swaps to electric blue lines on matte silver. Carbon Fiber Performance puts thin red lines over woven carbon.

Synthwave and neon

A sunset gradient rising from the rocker panels works well on the original's tall sides. Try Neon Synthwave Sunset or the darker Midnight Chrome Synthwave.

Camo

Urban Digital Camo is charcoal and white pixels with a matte finish. Autumn Camo is the woodland version in orange, olive and brown.

Pearl white and gold

Glossy pearl white with brushed gold accent lines is the quiet luxury option. Get Pearl White and Gold.

Every Model 3 design, original and Highland, is on the Tesla Model 3 wraps page. The racing, matte and luxury collections are good places to start.

Making your own original Model 3 wrap

Open the studio, pick Model 3 Pre-2024 (Original), and the right template loads with the outline in place. Three tips:

• Keep graphics off the glass roof. The roof is almost all glass, so end hood stripes at the windshield and start them again at the rear window.
• Mind the fog-light pockets. Fine detail in the lower front bumper gets broken up by the two pockets. Put detailed graphics higher on the bumper or on the hood.
• Start AI prompts with "every panel painted". It stops the generator leaving a pillar or door blank. The prompt tutorial has more phrasing that works.

Check the design on the 3D car before you download. The preview uses the original Model 3's own model, so what you see is what lands on your screen.

Putting the wrap on your Model 3

Download the PNG, then in the Tesla app go to Creations > Wrap > Upload and pick the file. You need Tesla app 4.59.0 or newer and car software 2026.26 or newer. On older software, copy the PNG into a folder named Wraps on a USB drive and open Toybox > Paint Shop > Wraps in the car. The phone upload guide walks through both.

Driving a 2024 or newer car? You want the Model 3 Highland wraps guide instead.

Pick a design for your Model 3 in the gallery, or open the studio and make your own.

Frequently asked questions

Which Model 3 years use the original wrap template? The original Model 3 template covers cars built from 2017 to 2023. Model 3s from 2024 onward are the Highland and use a different template.

Can I use a Highland wrap on a 2021 Model 3? Not reliably. The Highland has a different nose and rear, so a Highland wrap lines up along the doors but misses at the front and back of an original Model 3. Use a wrap made on the original template.

Can I upload a wrap to an older Model 3 from my phone? Yes, if the car runs software 2026.26 or newer and your Tesla app is 4.59.0 or newer: go to Creations > Wrap > Upload. On older software, load the PNG from a USB drive through Toybox > Paint Shop > Wraps instead.

What size is a Model 3 wrap file? A Model 3 wrap is a PNG between 512 by 512 and 1024 by 1024 pixels, under 1 MB, with a filename of up to 30 letters, numbers, spaces, underscores or dashes.

Are these Model 3 wraps free? Yes. Every design in this guide is free to download, and you can open any of them in the studio to change the colors.