Lithophanes
ItsLitho
Browser lithophane designer with many shapes, an image editor and a backlit preview
9 generators · 6 free
Lithophanes & Light
A lithophane is a thin print that looks like a plain plastic sheet until you put a light behind it. Thicker areas block more light, thinner areas let more through, and your photo appears in soft shades.
The generators below turn a photo into a ready-to-slice STL. You pick the shape (flat, curved, cylinder, heart, lamp, globe) and the tool works out the thickness map. Print in white PLA with fine layers and a high infill for the best result.
Lithophanes
Make My Lithophane (MakerLab)
Bambu Lab's free lithophane tool with mono and CMYK colour modes and frames
Lithophanes
3dp.rocks Image to Lithophane
Classic free lithophane converter with flat, curved, dome and heart shapes
Lithophanes
Lithophane Maker
Specialist lithophane site for lamps, night lights, globes and colour lithophanes
Lithophanes
Lightbox Maker (MakerLab)
Build layered, multicolour LED light boxes from your images and text
Lithophanes
3D-Lithophane.com
Online lithophane designer for panels, cubes, lanterns, globes and lampshades
Lithophanes
Lithophane Folding Fan (MakerLab)
Turns an image into a printable folding hand fan with lithophane blades
Gifts
OmArTronics 3D Kollektion
Free browser studio for soundwave art, lithophane lamps, vases and planters
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Printing lithophanes: what to buy
The generator does the design. These materials make the print look as good as the preview.
White PLA for lithophanes
A lithophane is only as good as the light passing through it. A neutral, evenly pigmented white gives smooth grey gradients, while an off-white or patchy batch shows up as blotches and colour casts once it is backlit.
- Bambu Lab PLA Basic Jade WhiteThe white Bambu uses in its own lithophane workflow; RFID presets make first prints predictable on Bambu printers.
- Polymaker PolyLite PLA Cold WhiteA cool-toned white (listed next to the warmer standard White) that keeps backlit photos crisp instead of yellowish.
- eSUN PLA+ WhiteAffordable and easy to find, good for large or batch lithophane panels.
LED bases and puck lights for lithophane lamps
A compact light inside the base is what turns a printed lithophane cylinder, moon or globe into a lamp. Warm white flatters photos, while remote-controlled pucks add colour and timers.
- Bambu Lab LED Lamp Kit5V, 3W warm-white lamp module with cable, designed for printed lamp bodies such as moon and kumiko lamps.
- Bambu Lab Remote Controlled 16-color RGBW Puck Lights (2 pcs)Battery-powered (AAA) pucks with IR remote, dimming and auto-off; no cable to route through the base.
- Warm white USB LED puck light (generic)Mains-free USB pucks suit lamps that stay on for hours; choose warm white (about 3000K) for photo lithophanes.
0.2 mm nozzle for fine detail
A 0.2 mm nozzle lays thinner lines, so tiny keychain text, small HueForge features and delicate edges come out sharp instead of blobby. Keep abrasive glow and wood filaments away from stainless 0.2 mm nozzles.
- Bambu Lab Hotend A1/A2 - 0.2 mm Stainless SteelDrop-in 0.2 mm hotend for the A1, A1 mini and A2L.
- Bambu Lab Multi-Size Hotends KitBundles a 0.2 mm hotend with larger sizes, with versions for H2, X2D/P2S, A-series and X1/P1 printers.
- Bambu Lab Hotend P1 Series - 0.2 mm Stainless SteelThe 0.2 mm option for P1S owners.
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