Make a flat lithophane STL from an image. Control minimum and maximum thickness, compare gray and simulated backlit previews, and download locally.
Dark pixels make a thicker photo panel; bright pixels transmit more light. Print effects depend on material and lighting.
A real conversion made with this tool. Your model will appear here after generation.
Example size: 100.0 × 100.0 × 3.2 mm
Choose an image → Set size → Generate → Download STL
STL coordinates are in mm. No colors or textures. Review walls and orientation in your slicer before printing.
Original inputs, actual generated meshes and downloadable STL files. These are digital previews, not photographs of printed objects.
Dark areas are thicker than bright areas. The 2 mm border is included in the outer width; backlighting is a simulation.
Width (mm): 100 · Resolution: 128 · Minimum thickness (mm): 0.8 · Maximum thickness (mm): 3.2 · Border (mm): 2
100.00 × 100.00 × 3.20 mm · 67,596 triangles · 1 closed shell
NASA/JPL-Caltech · Blue Marble, PIA18033. Source. No endorsement implied.
Broad tones become a thickness pattern in a flat panel. The gray model and simulated backlight represent the same geometry.
Width (mm): 100 · Resolution: 128 · Minimum thickness (mm): 0.8 · Maximum thickness (mm): 3.2 · Border (mm): 2
100.00 × 76.00 × 3.20 mm · 50,956 triangles · 1 closed shell
A lithophane uses varying material thickness to reveal an image when light passes through it. Darker pixels produce thicker regions, while lighter pixels produce thinner regions. The rear is flat and the front contains the thickness pattern. This V1 maker generates flat panels only; it does not wrap a photo around a cylinder, create a curved frame, or produce a calibrated preview of a particular filament and lamp.
The Earth photograph and the original mountain illustration are shown as actual gray models and simulated backlit previews. The simulation uses thickness to vary display brightness. It illustrates the relationship, but printed transmission also depends on material, color, layer settings, orientation and illumination. The illustration is not a photograph of a physical print, and neither preview establishes a guaranteed photographic result.
Minimum and maximum thickness define different limits. Keep the minimum positive and choose a larger maximum so the photo has a thickness range. Border is included in the outside width and helps define an edge around the flat panel. The experiment below changes the Earth maximum from 3.2 to 2.2 mm while keeping minimum, border and source fixed. Compare the real mesh dimensions and thickness distribution before deciding what to print.
| Control | Starting point | What to inspect |
|---|---|---|
| Width / border | 100 mm / 2 mm | Width includes the border. A border changes the image area inside the outside dimensions rather than adding width after export. |
| Thickness range | 0.8 to 3.2 mm | Dark values approach maximum thickness. The comparison below lowers maximum to 2.2 mm; minimum must remain positive and below maximum. |
| Gamma / brightness | 1 / 1 | Adjust tonal mapping when needed. These change geometry, not just the viewer lighting; regenerate before downloading an updated file. |
| Contrast / resolution | 1 / 256 initially | Use a sensible tonal range and bounded grid. The tutorial files use 128; larger grids cost more memory and do not guarantee better transmission. |
Reducing maximum thickness compresses the thickness range. Display brightness is not a measured filament transmission value. Both files use the same input and recorded settings; the single change is shown below.
| Recorded STL result | Baseline | One parameter changed |
|---|---|---|
| Bounds | 100.00 × 100.00 × 3.20 mm | 100.00 × 100.00 × 2.20 mm |
| Triangles / shells | 67,596 / 1 | 67,596 / 1 |
| Volume | 25846.3 mm³ | 18410.4 mm³ |
| Download for inspection | Baseline STL | Comparison STL |
Closed geometry and dimensions were checked after download. These measurements describe these files; they are not a printability guarantee.
STL stores triangles without units, colors or textures. This tool writes coordinates intended as millimeters. Closed-mesh validation checks finite coordinates, oriented shared edges and positive volume; it does not certify your printer, material or every thin feature.
JavaScript and Web Workers are needed for conversion. WebGL enables the interactive preview; if preview initialization fails, an already validated STL can still be downloaded.
The V1 baseline fixture lithophane-earth produced actual layered G-code in both slicers. Across the four modes, eight baseline STL files were checked in Bambu Studio and PrusaSlicer. Their recorded files and hashes are retained.
These are baseline slicing checks, not tests of every gallery parameter variation or physical print. Open your own downloaded model, check dimensions and thin features, and choose settings for your printer.
Recorded baseline results
More material blocks more light. The model maps dark image values toward maximum thickness and bright values toward minimum thickness. Invert reverses this mapping.
V1 generates flat panels only. Print quality and transmission depend on material, layer settings, orientation and lighting; a slicer review is required.
No. It changes the viewer material for the same validated mesh. Thickness settings, gamma, brightness or contrast do change the model and require regeneration.
Select settings for your own machine and material in the slicer, inspect thin regions and orientation, and make a small calibration print if transmission matters. This site does not provide universally validated lithophane print settings.
Files stay on your device. Desktop: up to 20 MB / 8 million pixels. Touch phones: 10 MB / 4 million pixels. SVG: 1 MB with bounded complexity. PNG, JPG, WebP and prepared SVG only. Use original or permitted artwork; model conversion does not grant image or trademark rights.
