Turn a photo into a lithophane: a 3D print that shows the picture when light shines through it. Pick a shape, see it glow, download the file for your printer.
Free · your photo never leaves your device · STL and 3MF · Foto Jocković, Belgrade
Photo
Crop
Drag to move · pinch or scroll to zoom
Straighten0°
Zoom1.0×
Shape of the picture
Depth (AI, on your device)
Photo repeats around the lamp
Size
Longest side
Diameter
Height
Curve
Border width
Thickness
Thickest (dark)
Thinnest (light)
Border thickness
Material
The thickness is worked out from how much light gets through the material, so the glow matches your photo.
Relief side
Negative (light areas thick)
Detail
Image
Auto levels
Brightness
Contrast
Midtones
Detail boost
Smoothing
Brightness to thickness
“True to light” uses how light fades in plastic, so mid-tones and shadows come out right. “Linear” is what most other makers do.
Frame and stand
Frame
Frame width
Box depth
Frame filament
Stand
Hanging hole
Hole size
Lamp base (for a tea light or puck light)
Fit clearance
Colour lithophane
In colour (CMY layers)
For printers with several filaments (AMS, MMU, tool changer). Thin cyan, magenta and yellow layers sit behind the white lithophane and tint the light. Load translucent CMY filaments and white; use the 3MF file or the STL parts.
Colour strength
Thickest colour layer
Light
Backlight on
LED colour
Brightness
Room light
Tap the lithophane to switch the light. Drag to look around it, pinch to zoom.
Relief
Relief height
Base thickness
Detail from the photo
Smoothing
Subject lift
Depth compression
Background
Invert (carved in, for moulds and stamps)
Detail
The shape comes from an AI depth estimate of your photo, compressed the way sculptors make a bas-relief, with fine detail from the photo itself so faces, eyes and hair read well.
Size
Longest side
Border width
Border height
Hole size
Fit clearance
Finish
Only changes the preview. Print in one colour; paint, a wash or a metallic filament bring the relief out. The OBJ file carries the photo colours.
Glass block
Size
LED base on
LED colour
K9 optical glass, the usual material for laser-engraved crystal gifts. The picture is made of tiny laser points inside the glass; it never reaches the surface.
Engraving
2D only (flat picture, no depth)
3D depth
Point spacing
Layers
Layer gap
Brightness
Contrast
Detail boost
Subject only (remove the background)
Your 3D file
Making it
3D printer: print it lying on its flat back, as the file is laid out. 0.08–0.12 mm layers bring out faces; resin printers show the finest detail.
CNC: import the height map in Vectric (Aspire, VCarve), Carveco or ArtCAM as a component or relief, set the depth to the height shown in the file name, rough with a flat end mill and finish with a 1–3 mm ball nose or tapered ball nose.
A dark wash or acrylic glaze wiped off the high points, or dry-brushed metal paint, makes the relief stand out.
Engraving files
For the engraver
The DXF has one POINT per laser shot, one layer per depth layer, in millimetres, centred on the glass block. Subsurface engraving software (for green 532 nm crystal lasers) reads it directly; PLY and XYZ suit CloudCompare, MeshLab and most other tools.
Points keep a 6 mm margin from every glass face. Check the block size in the file name against the blank you have.
The 2D image is for flat (2D) crystal engraving: black = engrave. Most crystal software turns it into points itself.
Your 3D file
Printing tips
Print the lithophane standing upright, as the file is laid out. The relief stays sharp that way.
100% infill, 0.1–0.12 mm layers, slow outer walls. A brim keeps tall prints steady.
White PLA for a classic look; natural (translucent) PLA for a brighter glow with less contrast.
Light boxes: stick a warm-white LED strip (or a small LED panel) on the inside of the back panel, cable through the notch.
Language
How it works
A lithophane is a thin plate whose thickness follows the photo: thick where the photo is dark, thin where it is light. With a light behind it, the picture appears.
Choose a photo and a shape: light box, picture frame, flat plate with a stand, curved panel, lamp, heart or round ornament.
The thickness is calculated from how much light the material lets through (it fades exponentially with thickness), so shadows and highlights glow the way they look in your photo.
The preview shows the real model: switch the light to see it glow, warm and soft as light spreads inside the plastic.
Download a watertight STL or 3MF. Frames, light boxes, stands and lamp bases are separate parts that fit together.
3D relief: an AI model (Depth Anything V2) estimates how far each part of the photo is, on your device.
Crystal: the same depth becomes a cloud of laser points inside a K9 glass block.
Everything happens on your device. No photo is uploaded anywhere.
Sample photos: Foto Jocković. Depth model: Depth Anything V2 Small (Apache-2.0) on ONNX Runtime Web (MIT). Wood textures: Poly Haven (CC0). Rendering: three.js (MIT). Credits and licences
Lithophane maker for 3D printing
A free lithophane maker for 3D printing: turn any photo into a lithophane light box, frame, lamp or ornament that shows the picture when light shines through it, and download STL or 3MF. It also makes 3D reliefs and crystal engraving files.
How to make a lithophane from a photo
Choose a photo.
Pick a shape: light box, picture frame, flat plate with a stand, curved panel, lamp, heart or round ornament.
Switch the light on in the 3D preview to see how it will glow.
Download a watertight STL or 3MF and print it.
Private: nothing is uploaded
The model is built on your device and your photo never leaves it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a lithophane?
A thin plate whose thickness follows the photo: thick where it is dark, thin where it is light. With a light behind it, the picture appears.
Which files do I get for a 3D printed lithophane?
STL and 3MF for lithophanes; reliefs also as OBJ and a 16-bit PNG height map for CNC; crystal designs as DXF, PLY or XYZ points.
Do the frames and stands fit?
Yes. Frames, light boxes, stands and lamp bases are separate parts made to fit together.
How is the thickness calculated?
From how much light the material lets through, so shadows and highlights glow the way they look in your photo.
Can it make a 3D relief or a keychain?
Yes. In relief mode an AI model estimates the depth of your photo and turns it into a plaque, medallion or keychain.