# Lithophane Maker

> A lithophane maker is a tool that turns a photo into a thin translucent panel, thick where the picture is dark and thin where it is light, so the image appears when lit from behind. Kenerate's free maker works in your browser, flat or curved, with a backlit preview before you download a watertight STL or 3MF.

URL: https://kenerateai.com/lithophane-maker
Publisher: Kenerate AI (https://kenerateai.com)
Last updated: 2026-10-01

## Key facts
- Price: Free, no account
- Defaults: 100 mm wide · 3.0 mm max · 0.8 mm min · 4 mm frame · 0.2 mm detail
- Shapes: Flat, or curved from 5° to 180° · 3D and simulated backlit preview
- Output: STL, 3MF, OBJ, GLB — watertight, millimetres
- Print tips: White PLA · 0.1–0.12 mm layers · ≥90% infill or all walls · upright
- Privacy: Processed in your browser — no upload
- Backlit preview: See roughly how the panel will look against light — light falls off with thickness, so the preview shows how the picture will read.
- Thickness = contrast: Max thickness sets how dark the darkest areas get; min thickness sets the brightest. 3.0 / 0.8 mm is a reliable start for white PLA.
- Frame: A solid border at full thickness protects the thin edges and gives the panel a clean finish.
- Curve: Bend the panel up to 180° so it stands by itself and lights evenly from a small LED behind it.
- Negative mode: Invert makes bright areas thick — a negative for special effects.
- Your photo stays private: Everything runs on your device. Nothing is uploaded.
- Resample: The photo is redrawn onto a grid every 0.1–1 mm across the chosen width.
- Darkness → thickness: Each point's thickness runs from the minimum (brightest) to the maximum (darkest).
- Frame and curve: A full-thickness border is added, then the panel is optionally bent around a vertical axis.
- Close and export: A flat back and side walls make it watertight; download STL or 3MF in millimetres.
- STL (Stereolithography): Triangle mesh (binary or ASCII); by 3D Systems, 1987. Holds: Triangle surfaces, Facet normals. Lacks: Colour and textures, Units, Materials. Best for: 3D printing — every slicer opens it. Opens in: Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, OrcaSlicer, Blender.
- 3MF (3D Manufacturing Format): ZIP package with XML; by 3MF Consortium, 2015. Holds: Meshes with units (millimetres), Colours and materials, Several objects and build plates. Lacks: Animation. Best for: Modern 3D printing and multi-colour prints. Opens in: Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer, Cura, Windows 3D Builder.

## Steps
1. Add a photo — Drop a photo onto the box above, or try the sample dog or lake.
2. Set size and thickness — Choose the width; keep 3.0 mm max and 0.8 mm min to start.
3. Frame and curve — Add a 3–5 mm frame. Curve it if you want it to stand on its own.
4. Check and download — Look at the backlit preview, then download the STL or 3MF.

## In depth

### A 200-year-old idea, printed
Lithophanes were first made in porcelain in 1820s France; Baron Paul de Bourgoing patented the process in 1827, and German factories later made them in large numbers [14]. 3D printing made them easy to personalise — the first printed lithophanes date from 2011, typically in white PLA [14].

### Why thickness range is contrast
Light is absorbed as it passes through plastic, so a thicker spot looks darker. The maximum thickness is your 'black point', the minimum your 'white point'. A wider range gives more contrast but needs a brighter light; a very thin minimum can let light blow out highlights or leave fragile spots.

### Print settings that matter
Prusa suggests translucent white PLA, 0.1 mm layers and at least 90% grid infill [12]. A 2024 study of PLA translucency found every major FFF setting — orientation, layer height, temperature, fan, flow and speed — changes how much light gets through, with upright samples transmitting more light than flat ones [13]. Print a small test strip first to tune your filament.

### Lighting it
Use a diffused, warm white light a few centimetres behind the panel. A bare point light can show a hot spot; a curved panel around a puck light spreads it more evenly.

References:
[1] Wikipedia — STL (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)
[2] Wikipedia — Wavefront .obj file: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file
[3] Wikipedia — FBX: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBX
[4] Khronos Group — glTF: https://www.khronos.org/gltf/
[5] 3MF Consortium — 3MF specification: https://3mf.io/specification/
[6] Wikipedia — Universal Scene Description (USD / USDZ): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Scene_Description
[7] Wikipedia — PLY (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLY_(file_format)
[8] Khronos Group — glTF 2.0 specification: https://registry.khronos.org/glTF/specs/2.0/glTF-2.0.html
[9] Apple — AR Quick Look: https://developer.apple.com/augmented-reality/quick-look/
[10] three.js — documentation: https://threejs.org/docs/
[11] Prusa Knowledge Base — Modeling with 3D printing in mind: https://help.prusa3d.com/article/modeling-with-3d-printing-in-mind_164135
[12] Prusa Blog — lithophanes and filament transparency: https://blog.prusa3d.com/lets-play-with-filament-transparency-how-to-make-amazing-lifelike-color-photos-with-just-a-simple-color-change_104338/
[13] Polymers (2024) 16(20):2862 — FFF parameters and translucency of PLA: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16202862
[14] Wikipedia — Lithophane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane
[15] W3C — CSS Values and Units Level 3 (absolute lengths): https://www.w3.org/TR/css-values-3/
[16] Adobe Substance 3D — OpenGL vs DirectX normal maps: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/substance-3d/bakers/common-questions/what-is-the-difference-between-the-opengl-and-directx-normal-format
[17] Blender Manual — Normal Map node: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/shader_nodes/displacement/normal_map.html
[18] Wikipedia — Normal mapping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
[19] SIL Open Font License: https://openfontlicense.org/

## FAQ
Q: What is a lithophane?
A: A thin translucent panel whose varying thickness makes a picture appear when it's lit from behind. The technique began with porcelain in 1820s Europe; 3D-printed lithophanes appeared around 2011.

Q: How thick should a lithophane be?
A: Most makers use about 3 mm at the darkest point and 0.6–0.8 mm at the brightest. Thicker gives deeper blacks but needs a stronger light.

Q: Should I print a lithophane upright or flat?
A: Upright is common, and a 2024 study in Polymers measured more light passing through upright-printed PLA samples than flat ones. Upright also gives finer detail along the picture, at the cost of a tall, thin print — add a brim.

Q: What filament is best?
A: White or natural PLA. Prusa recommends translucent white PLA with 0.1 mm layers and at least 90% infill. Coloured filament works but reduces contrast.

Q: Do lithophanes need 100% infill?
A: They need to be solid. Either use 90–100% infill or enough walls/perimeters that the whole panel is printed as walls.

Q: What photo works best?
A: A sharp, well-lit photo with a clear subject and good contrast. Crop tightly and avoid very dark or busy backgrounds.

Q: Why does my lithophane look flat when it's off?
A: That's normal — the picture is in the thickness, so it only shows clearly with light behind it. Use a warm white LED a few centimetres away.

Q: Is my photo uploaded?
A: No. The lithophane is built on your device and never sent anywhere.

## Related pages
- AI 3D Model Generator: https://kenerateai.com/ai-3d-model-generator
- Image to 3D: https://kenerateai.com/image-to-3d-converter
- AI STL Generator: https://kenerateai.com/ai-3d-printing-model-generator
- Text to 3D: https://kenerateai.com/text-to-3d-generator

## Sources
- Wikipedia — STL (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)
- Wikipedia — Wavefront .obj file: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wavefront_.obj_file
- Wikipedia — FBX: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FBX
- Khronos Group — glTF: https://www.khronos.org/gltf/
- 3MF Consortium — 3MF specification: https://3mf.io/specification/
- Wikipedia — Universal Scene Description (USD / USDZ): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Scene_Description
- Wikipedia — PLY (file format): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PLY_(file_format)
- Khronos Group — glTF 2.0 specification: https://registry.khronos.org/glTF/specs/2.0/glTF-2.0.html
- Apple — AR Quick Look: https://developer.apple.com/augmented-reality/quick-look/
- three.js — documentation: https://threejs.org/docs/
- Prusa Knowledge Base — Modeling with 3D printing in mind: https://help.prusa3d.com/article/modeling-with-3d-printing-in-mind_164135
- Prusa Blog — lithophanes and filament transparency: https://blog.prusa3d.com/lets-play-with-filament-transparency-how-to-make-amazing-lifelike-color-photos-with-just-a-simple-color-change_104338/
- Polymers (2024) 16(20):2862 — FFF parameters and translucency of PLA: https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16202862
- Wikipedia — Lithophane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane
- W3C — CSS Values and Units Level 3 (absolute lengths): https://www.w3.org/TR/css-values-3/
- Adobe Substance 3D — OpenGL vs DirectX normal maps: https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/substance-3d/bakers/common-questions/what-is-the-difference-between-the-opengl-and-directx-normal-format
- Blender Manual — Normal Map node: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/shader_nodes/displacement/normal_map.html
- Wikipedia — Normal mapping: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_mapping
- SIL Open Font License: https://openfontlicense.org/