Free lithophane maker
Turn a photo into a thin 3D print that glows when you light it from behind. Pick a photo and a shape (flat, Christmas bauble, heart, curved lamp panel or snow-globe insert), set the size and thickness, and download an STL. It all happens in your browser: your photo is never uploaded.
Preview: how it looks lit from behind.
Printing your rectangle
Printing any lithophane
- Use white or very light filament, such as plain white PLA. Dark filament blocks the light.
- Use 100% infill, so every part is solid and only the thickness decides how much light gets through.
- Print flat on the bed (easiest) or standing upright with a brim (smoother picture), with a 0.2 mm layer height or finer.
- Light it from behind with a warm LED or a lamp. A phone torch pressed to the back works for a test.
- Keep the thin side at 0.8 mm or more so it prints without gaps. The thick side blocks most light: 3.2 mm is a good default.
- Check the preview. If faces look too dark, raise the contrast a little or lower the thick side.