Lithophane

A lithophane is a thin panel where a picture is turned into varying thickness. With a light behind it, the thinner areas let more light through and the picture appears. It is a beautiful way to display photographs and artwork.

How to Use

  1. Add a picture to the bed (drop an image file on the 3D view) and select it
  2. Click Lithophane in the Image group of the toolbar
  3. Set the size and detail, then click Update to rebuild. Changing a setting does not rebuild a lithophane on its own, because a detailed one can take a while to build

Parameters

  • Pixels Per mm - How many of the picture’s pixels make each millimetre (default 1.5; 0.1 to 10). More gives finer detail, a heavier model and a longer build. It does not change the size: the panel stays Width wide
  • Height - The thickness at the thickest point, in mm (default 2.5; the slider runs 0.5 to 3). The thinnest areas are 0.4 mm thick
  • Width - The width of the panel, in mm (default 150). The height follows the picture’s proportions
  • Invert - On by default: dark parts of the picture are thick, so they block the light and look dark when lit from behind. Turn it off to make light parts thick instead

Tips

  • Try a low Pixels Per mm while you choose the size, then raise it for the final model
  • A height of 2 to 3 mm works well for most lithophanes
  • Portrait photos with good contrast work particularly well
  • Image Converter - Trace an image’s shapes and extrude them, instead of turning brightness into thickness
  • Image to Path - Trace image outlines as paths