Table of Contents
How does a lithophane work?
Lithophanes are essentially embossed photos generated by a 3D printer. The print results don’t show much at first, but shine some light through one and you’ll be amazed by the details. The way it works is that light passes through the thin parts while being blocked by the thick parts.
What is a lithophane and how does it work?
Well, a Lithophane is a 3D representation of a photo that can only be seen when illuminated from behind. A gray-scale representation of the image is created and then depending on the color it is then converted to a calculated 3D printed height. This allows a specific amount of light to shine through.
What are lithophanes made of?
The lithophane needs to be a thin material, formerly end mostly porcelain, with varying thicknesses. It’s fundamental for a lithophane to have variations in thickness. Thicker parts within the lithophane will block more light than the thinner parts.
What’s the meaning of lithophane?
: porcelain impressed with figures that are made distinct by transmitted light also : an object of this material.
Do lithophanes have to be white?
Lithophanes don’t have to be white but light passes through white filament a lot better, so it produces higher quality lithophanes. It’s definitely possible to 3D print lithophanes in different colors, but they don’t work as great as white lithophanes.
Can I sell lithophanes?
You may sell lithophanes made with this service without paying us anything as long as you follow copyright laws. To support the service, become a patron, link to LithophaneMaker.com when you show others your lithophanes, and buy through our affiliate links.
Do Lithophanes need support?
This will, in part, make sure that no supports are being generated inside the lithophane. One of the most important settings to get right next is the “support overhang angle”. This setting determines what angle supports should be placed. Usually, 3D-printers can print overhang angles of over 60 degrees.
Can I print a lithophane flat?
The first option for your 3d printer setup is to print your Lithophane laying flat on the bed, with the textured side of the image facing up or print your Lithophane vertically. As each layer is printed it the filament is “squished” into the print bed.
How do I convert a picture to lithophane?
How it works Upload Image. Upload one or multiple images. Edit your Image. Edit your image with the build-in ItsLitho image editor. Design your Model. Select the shape you would like to use and customize every aspect of it. Download your Lithophane. When you finished with your creation you can download it as a STL file.
Who invented lithophane?
Perhaps one of the most unusual and exciting art forms to emerge from the early 19th century was the lithophane. The lithophane has a rich history. The artworks were an innovation in the art world back then. The invention is generally credited by Baron Paul de Bourguignon, of Rubelles, France in 1827.
How do you make lithophane moon?
You can make a moon lithophane with the moon in the “background” everywhere that your picture is not by putting a check mark next to Moon Background. You can flip your picture upside down so that you can hang it on the cylindrical base instead of sitting on the base by putting a check mark next to Flip Image.
How do you make Lithophane color?
You can create your lithophane in four simple steps: Upload image tab – Upload the image you want to convert into a lithophane; (Optional) Edit image tab – Enhance the image by increasing the contrast; Create mode tab – Design and tweak your 3D model lithophane; Click on download button.
What color is best for lithophanes?
The best filament color for lithophanes is white. Light passes through white filaments a lot better. This is why white lithophanes tend to be of higher quality than those made of other colors.
What filament is used for lithophanes?
The best filament for lithophanes is a high quality white PLA. We love the Hatchbox White PLA because of its 0.3 mm +/- dimensional accuracy, which is the best in the industry.
How do you make a Lithophane in Photoshop?
How to Create Lithopanes in Photoshop Choose a source image. To make a good lithopane, your source image needs to be bold, clear and, above all, high in contrast. Run the Action. Fix the original. The corrected lithopane. The view from above. The printed result. The backlit view.
Should I print lithophane flat or vertical?
Layer heights should be as small as possible to avoid visible vertical bands, and the lithophane should be printed in a vertical orientation, to avoid the print sagging due to a lack of support. Infill is best set to 100%.
How thick should a lithophane be?
The first one is “MODEL” and it allows us to adjust the size and resolution of the lithophane. I recommend you start with a Maximum Size of 150 mm, a thickness of 3 mm, and 0 for the border. “Thinnest Layer” allows us to choose the smaller width of the image.
What is lithophane resolution?
The lithophane resolution is the distance between pixels in the printed lithophane, so a value of 0.3 mm/pixel means that each unique lithophane thickness is 0.3mm apart in the x and y dimensions. The overhang angle determines what becomes your overhang angle when you print the lithophane vertically.
Should Lithophane be positive or negative?
If you want a lithophane, then set the Positive or Negative Image? value to Negative. If you want the dark parts of your photo to recede and be darkened by shadow, then select Positive. The Lithophane Resolution is the distance (in mm) between unique thicknesses on your final lithophane surface.
What is a color lithograph?
An original lithograph is when the artist creates the work of art on a stone plate. In a color lithograph, a different stone is used for each color. The stone must be re-inked every time the image is pressed to the paper. Most modern lithographs are signed and numbered to establish an edition.
What color is Lithophane resin?
Print the file in Standard White Resin at 50 microns for the best results. If you’re rushed for time, 100 microns will still give you great results.
Can I paint a Lithophane?
For those particularly artistically gifted you can go through the process of either painting the inside or outside with paint. This will block some of the light but traditional lithophanes were often painted and the results look gorgeous.
