Best Lithophane Generators: Photo to STL in Minutes

A lithophane is the most surprising thing you can print for someone. In daylight it looks like a white plastic sheet with a vague texture. Hold it against a window or put a light behind it and a photo appears, with soft shading that looks almost like an old black-and-white print.

Making one needs no CAD at all. You upload a photo, choose a shape, and the generator turns brightness into thickness: dark areas get thicker plastic, light areas thinner.

Quick answer

• Best overall: ItsLitho. Many shapes, an image editor, a backlit preview, and free STL downloads.
• Best for colour lithophanes: Make My Lithophane (MakerLab). Free with a MakerWorld account, mono and CMYK colour modes, with frames.
• Simplest: 3dp.rocks. The classic free converter for flat, curved, dome and heart shapes.
• Best for lamps and globes: Lithophane Maker.

ItsLitho

ItsLitho is where most people end up once they get serious about lithophanes. It offers many shapes, from flat panels to curved and framed designs, and includes an image editor so you can crop and adjust contrast before converting. The backlit preview shows what the print will look like with a light behind it, which saves a lot of test prints. Designing and downloading STL files is free; a few advanced settings are marked premium.

MakerLab Make My Lithophane

If you print on a Bambu Lab machine, Make My Lithophane is the easiest way into colour. It has a mono mode for classic white lithophanes and a CMYK mode that stacks cyan, magenta, yellow and white layers into a full-colour image. It exports a 3MF with the colours assigned and adds frames if you like. It is free with a MakerWorld account.

Bambu Lab’s Lightbox Maker goes one step further and builds a layered, multicolour LED light box from your images and text.

3dp.rocks

3dp.rocks has been around for years and still does the basics well. Upload a photo, choose flat, curved, dome or heart, set the thickness, download the STL. No account, no fuss.

Lamps, globes and night lights

Lithophane Maker specialises in objects that hold a light: lamps, night lights, globes and colour lithophanes. The web tools are free and supported by Patreon. 3D-Lithophane.com covers panels, cubes, lanterns, globes and lampshades behind a free account. For a quick four-sided photo lamp shade, Litho-Lamp does one job and does it for free.

For something different, the MakerLab Lithophane Folding Fan turns an image into a hand fan with lithophane blades.

Settings that make a lithophane work

• Use white PLA that is evenly pigmented. Not silk, not glossy, not cream.
• Print with 100 percent infill so the thickness map is solid plastic.
• Use fine layers (0.12 mm or less) and slow outer walls for smooth gradients.
• Choose a contrast-rich photo. Faces in soft, even light work best; very dark photos turn into thick, dull slabs.
• Light it properly. A warm-white LED behind the print makes the photo come alive. Our picks are in the box below.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free lithophane generator?

ItsLitho is the most complete free option, with many shapes, an image editor and a backlit preview. 3dp.rocks is the simplest classic. Bambu Lab users get colour (CMYK) lithophanes for free with MakerLab Make My Lithophane.

What filament should I use for a lithophane?

A plain, evenly pigmented white PLA. Avoid silk, glossy or off-white filament: they scatter light unevenly and show blotches when backlit. For colour lithophanes you need cyan, magenta, yellow and white.

What are the best print settings for a lithophane?

Print upright if your printer is stable, with 0.12 mm layers or finer, 100 percent infill and a slow outer wall. A thickness range of about 0.8 mm to 3 mm works for most photos.

Can I make a colour lithophane?

Yes. Tools such as MakerLab Make My Lithophane and Lithophane Maker create colour lithophanes that stack cyan, magenta, yellow and white layers. You need a multicolour printer or a lot of patience with manual filament swaps.