Lithophanes
ItsLitho
Browser lithophane designer with many shapes, an image editor and a backlit preview
Lithophanes · 41 generators · 33 free
Lithophane generators
A lithophane generator turns a photo into a thin 3D print that shows the picture when light shines through it.
Quick picks
- Best free, no account 3dp.rocks Image to Lithophane Flat, curved, cylinder, dome and heart lithophanes in seconds.
- Best for lamps and gifts ItsLitho Spheres, vases and lamp shapes with a backlit preview.
- Best for an existing lamp or night light Lithophane Maker A separate page for each object, sized to fit what you own.
- Best for color lithophanes Make My Lithophane (MakerLab) CMYK color lithophanes for an AMS, as a Bambu Studio 3MF.
The 20 most popular lithophane generators compared
See all 41| Generator | Best for | Price | Account | Exports | Multicolor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ItsLitho | Photo gifts, lamp shades and night lights | Freemium | Not needed | STL | No |
| Make My Lithophane (MakerLab) | Bambu Lab owners making color photo lithophanes | Free | Needed | 3MF | Yes |
| 3dp.rocks Image to Lithophane | Quick flat or curved photo panels | Free | Not needed | STL | No |
| Lithophane Maker | Lithophanes that fit an existing lamp or night light | Free | Not needed | STL | Yes |
| Creality Cloud Lithophane Maker | A quick framed photo gift for Creality Cloud users | Free | Needed | STL | No |
| Lightbox Maker (MakerLab) | Light-up fan art and logo signs | Free | Needed | 3MF | Yes |
| SculptOK | Photo reliefs, portrait plaques and relief coins | Freemium | Needed | STL, OBJ, GLB, PNG | No |
| 3D-Lithophane.com | Photo cubes, lanterns and multi-photo gifts | Freemium | Needed | STL | No |
| AutoForge | Automatic color plans for filament paintings | Free | Not needed | STL, PNG | Yes |
| Lithophane Folding Fan (MakerLab) | A lithophane gift that is also useful | Freemium | Needed | 3MF | No |
| PIXEstL | Free color lithophanes on an AMS or MMU printer | Free | Not needed | STL, PNG | Yes |
| PrintPal Lithophane Generator | Quick photo lithophanes and cylinder night lights | Free | Not needed | STL | No |
| Vextrude Lithophane Maker | Shaped photo gifts, ornaments and small night lights | Free | Not needed | STL | No |
| 3D MakerBench | Quick everyday prints from one free toolbox | Free | Not needed | STL | Yes |
| Caustic Lens Generator (Yunyi Zhu) | A clear lens that shows a hidden picture in sunlight | Free | Not needed | OBJ | No |
| Designer Bee Lithophane Generator | Quick photo gifts and night lights for beginners | Free | Not needed | STL | No |
| Glintmake Image to STL Converter | Turning a logo or drawing into a raised plaque or cutout | Free | Not needed | STL | No |
| ilove3d | Many quick generators in one free, private toolbox | Free | Not needed | STL, 3MF, OBJ, GLB | Yes |
| Image Online Image to STL | A quick relief plaque or logo extrude from an image | Free | Not needed | STL | No |
| Image2STL | Quick logo cutouts, reliefs and flat lithophanes from one image | Free | Not needed | STL | No |
All 41 lithophane generators
Lithophanes
Make My Lithophane (MakerLab)
Bambu Lab's free lithophane tool with mono and CMYK color 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 color lithophanes
Lithophanes
Creality Cloud Lithophane Maker
Turns a photo into a flat 6 x 4 inch lithophane with a matching frame and stand, in Creality Cloud
Lithophanes
Lightbox Maker (MakerLab)
Build layered, multicolor 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
Lithophanes
PIXEstL
Free Java program that makes full-color lithophanes and pixel art from your filament palette
Lithophanes
PrintPal Lithophane Generator
Free browser tool that turns a photo into a flat or curved lithophane STL
Lithophanes
Vextrude Lithophane Maker
Free browser tool that turns photos into lithophane STLs in 22 shapes, lamps included
Lithophanes
Designer Bee Lithophane Generator
Free browser tool that turns a photo into a flat, curved or cylinder lithophane STL
Lithophanes
Kenerate Lithophane Maker
Free photo lithophanes, flat or curved up to 180 degrees, as STL, 3MF, OBJ or GLB, no account
Lithophanes
Lithophane Maker (3D MakerBench)
Free browser lithophane maker: flat panels, curved frames, lamp shades, moon lamps, night light boxes and keychains
Lithophanes
Lithophane Round Fan (MakerLab)
Turns a built-in or uploaded image into a round lithophane hand fan
Lithophanes
Lithophane Studio (metiutek)
Free flat, curved or cylinder lamp lithophanes from a photo, as STL or OBJ, all in your browser, no account
Lithophanes
LucentLitho
Photo to lithophane in five shapes, as a free STL or printed and shipped to you
Lithophanes
Modelador 3D Lithophane Generator
Free photo to lithophane generator for flat, curved and cylinder shapes, with a Portuguese interface
Lithophanes
Omnvert 3D printing tools
Lithophane maker with small adaptive STL files (1 free a day), plus free image-to-STL and QR-to-STL tools
Lithophanes
Photo Moon Lamp Generator (3D MakerBench)
Free moon lithophane lamp with your photo blended into the craters, plus an LED stand or hanging cap, as STL
Lithophanes
PixelSculpt
Free lithophane and color lithophane maker with filament TD layers and a swap schedule, STL, in your browser
Lithophanes
PrintMakerAI Lithophane Generator
Free flat photo lithophane with a solid border, as a watertight STL, no login or watermark
Lithophanes
PTP Create Color Lithophane Creator
Turns a photo into a full-color CMYK lithophane for multi-material printers
Lithophanes
STL Playground Lithophane Maker
Photo lithophanes as flat panels, cylinders, moon-style spheres or four-photo lantern boxes with a lamp base
Lithophanes
UpAgents Lithophane Maker
Flat photo lithophanes with a frame, built in your browser so the photo never leaves your device
Image to Relief
SculptOK
AI turns a photo into a depth map, then into a relief or lithophane STL to print
Image to Relief
AutoForge
Open-source optimizer that picks filament colors and swap layers for a HueForge-style picture print
Customizers
3D MakerBench
Free hub of 23 browser generators for cookie cutters, lithophanes, Gridfinity bins, gears and more, exporting STL
Image to Relief
Caustic Lens Generator (Yunyi Zhu)
Free browser tool that turns a grayscale image into a clear lens that projects it in sunlight, as OBJ
Image to Relief
Glintmake Image to STL Converter
Turn a PNG or JPG into a relief, an extruded logo or a lithophane STL, built in your browser
Customizers
ilove3d
Free browser toolbox with about 20 print generators plus file tools, no account and no uploads
Image to Relief
Image Online Image to STL
Free image to STL relief, lithophane or extruded logo, made in your browser with no upload or account
Image to Relief
Image2STL
Free image to STL in your browser: relief, lithophane, silhouette cutout or SVG extrusion, no account
Customizers
MakerNest Free Generators
Six free generators for keychains, lithophanes, QR plates, Gridfinity bins, cutters and signs; STL needs a free account
Image to Relief
MakerTools3D
Turns PNG and JPG images into multicolor 3MF plates, keychains and decals
Gifts
OmArTronics 3D Kollektion
Free browser studio for soundwave art, lithophane lamps, vases and planters
Customizers
PlainMesh
About 350 name tag, cake topper and sign templates plus lithophane, map and QR tools
Image to Relief
QuickSTL Image to STL
Free browser converters for photo lithophanes, relief coins, SVG logos and heightmap terrain
Image to Relief
Spectrum Forge
Photo to a four-filament color 3MF in HueForge-style, toolchanger paint or backlit litho mode; first export free
Image to Relief
STL Splitter Image to STL
Free browser tool that turns a picture into a watertight relief or lithophane STL
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About lithophane generators
In daylight the print looks like a plain plastic sheet with a faint texture. Put a lamp or a window behind the print and the image appears in soft shades, because thicker plastic blocks more light and thinner plastic lets more through.
The generators on this page work out that thickness map for you. You upload a photo, pick a shape and download a file that is ready to slice. The shape is the main difference between them. 3dp.rocks covers flat, curved, cylinder, dome and heart forms. ItsLitho adds spheres, vases and lamp shapes, with holders for night lights and LED pucks. Litho-Lamp only makes lamp shades, and Lithophane Maker has a separate page for each object, from night lights and globes to a shade that sits on a lamp you already own.
The MakerLab tools on MakerWorld export a 3MF for Bambu Studio instead of a plain STL. Make My Lithophane also makes CMYK color lithophanes for an AMS, and the Lithophane Folding Fan sells an optional one-time unlock for your own photos.
Most of these tools are free. What sets them apart is whether you need an account, which shapes you get and how much control you have over the image. For a classic white lithophane, print in plain white PLA with fine layers and 100 percent infill.
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 gray gradients, while an off-white or patchy batch shows up as blotches and color casts once it is backlit.
- Bambu Lab PLA Basic Jade White (affiliate link) The white Bambu uses in its own lithophane workflow; RFID presets make first prints predictable on Bambu printers.
- Polymaker PolyLite PLA Cold White (affiliate link) A cool-toned white (listed next to the warmer standard White) that keeps backlit photos crisp instead of yellowish. In Europe? Buy from 3DJake (affiliate link)
Code gives 15% off your first order at Polymaker.
- eSUN PLA+ White (affiliate link) Affordable and easy to find, good for large or batch lithophane panels. In Europe? Buy from 3DJake (affiliate link)
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 color and timers.
- Bambu Lab LED Lamp Kit 5V, 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) (affiliate link) 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 Steel (affiliate link) Drop-in 0.2 mm hotend for the A1, A1 mini and A2L.
- Bambu Lab Multi-Size Hotends Kit (affiliate link) Bundles 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 Steel (affiliate link) The 0.2 mm option for P1S owners.
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More about that
Lithophanes: common questions
Can I make a lithophane without an account?
Yes. 3dp.rocks, ItsLitho, Litho-Lamp and Lithophane Maker run in the browser and let you download the STL without signing up. ItsLitho's terms say its models may be used commercially, with or without an account. 3D-Lithophane.com asks for a free account before you can download, and the MakerLab tools need a MakerWorld login.
Can a lithophane generator make a lamp shade?
Yes. Litho-Lamp makes lamp shades from up to four photos, in drum, empire, coolie and other shapes. Lithophane Maker's lamp tool builds a shade with a ledge that sits between the socket and the bulb of a lamp you already own. ItsLitho has lamp shapes and night light holders, and 3D-Lithophane.com adds lanterns and cone shades.
What kind of photo makes a good lithophane?
A photo with strong contrast between light and dark areas and one clear subject, such as a face or a pet in even light. Very dark or busy photos turn into thick, muddy areas. Crop close and raise the contrast before you convert: ItsLitho and 3D-Lithophane.com both have an image editor built in.
Guides for this category
- Best Free Lithophane Generators (2026): Photo to STL
- Free HueForge Alternatives (2026): Filament Painting Tools
- Best Image to STL Converters: Relief, Logo or Real 3D?
- Christmas 3D Prints Without CAD: Ornament Generators (2026)
- 18 Personalized 3D Printed Gifts You Can Make Without CAD
- Best SVG to STL Converters: Turn a Logo into a 3D Print
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