Lithophane Maker

Photo to Lithophane Maker

Turn any photo into a 3D printable lithophane. Dark areas print thicker, bright areas thinner — hold the print up to a light and the image appears. Perfect for gifts, night lights, and window art.

Create Your Lithophane

Upload a photo, tune the size and thickness, then generate and download a print-ready STL.

Drop a photo here or click to browse

PNG, JPG, WebP, GIF, or BMP

Any Photo Works

Portraits, pets, landscapes — the tool converts brightness to thickness automatically, with adjustable contrast via thickness range.

Backlight Magic

Thin areas pass more light than thick ones, revealing the photo in smooth grayscale when lit from behind.

Built-in Frame

Optional full-thickness border keeps the plate rigid and gives you a clean edge for mounting in stands or night lights.

How to Make a Lithophane from a Photo

A lithophane is a 3D print whose thickness varies with image brightness: dark pixels become thick material that blocks light, bright pixels become thin material that glows. This generator converts your photo to a heightmap plate STL you can print on any FDM or resin printer.

Printing Tips for Perfect Lithophanes:

  • Print vertically: Stand the plate upright on the bed so layer lines run across the image — detail is far sharper than printing flat
  • Use white or natural filament: White PLA diffuses light most evenly; avoid dark colors
  • 100% infill: Any infill pattern will show through when backlit
  • Slow down: 30–40 mm/s outer walls keep thin sections clean
  • 0.1–0.15 mm layer height: Finer layers mean smoother grayscale tones

Choosing Settings:

  • Thickness range: 0.6–3.0 mm is the classic range for white PLA; widen to 0.6–4 mm for higher contrast
  • Width: 80–120 mm suits most photos; larger plates show more detail but take longer to print
  • Resolution: 200 samples is a good balance — around 0.4 mm per pixel at 80 mm width, matching a standard nozzle
  • Invert: Create a negative lithophane for backlit panels where you want dark areas to glow instead

Great Lithophane Project Ideas:

  • Wedding and baby photos as night light inserts
  • Pet portraits in window-mounted frames
  • Panoramic photos wrapped as lamp shades (print multiple flat panels)
  • Holiday ornaments with family photos and LED tea lights