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Small scale geological heterogeneity (below the vertical resolution of conventional logs) often receives less attention in reservoir modelling practice compared to larger scale ones. Three-dimensional digital core models represent suitable tools in this sense, addressing the transition from sub-millimetric to decimetre scales, and provide effective properties values for input to large-scale reservoir simulations. A commercial software designed to build such models was reviewed and improved to quantitatively integrate grain size distributions data from laboratory analyses for increasing consistency and robustness of digital core models. Lithological realizations are simulated as first, which rely on grain size data and bedding templates. Secondly, property realizations (e.g., porosity and permeability) are simulated and calibrated against laboratory analysis on core plug data. Calibration consists in an iterative process which minimizes the difference between real and synthetic core plug properties. New steps of the workflow are presented and described. Examples of real case applications of digital core models are reported.