Free Lithophane Maker — Turn Any Photo into a Backlit 3D Print

A lithophane is a thin 3D-printed photo that only shows its image when you hold it up to a light. Thin areas let light through and read bright, thick areas block it and read dark, so the picture appears as you tilt the print toward a lamp or a window.

Upload a photo, set the thinnest and thickest points in millimetres, then export the STL. Slice it at 100% infill with 0.08–0.12 mm layers for the smoothest gradient, print it standing on its short edge with a brim, and hold it up to a light to see the image.

0.8 mm at the thinnest point and 3–4 mm at the thickest is a good starting range for a 100 mm print. Thin areas transmit more light and read brighter; below about 0.6 mm you risk pinholes, and above 4 mm the dark end blocks so much light that contrast drops.

Portraits, pets and photos with one clear subject and good contrast convert best. Brightness becomes thickness, so avoid busy backgrounds and flat, low-contrast shots — a muddy photo turns into a muddy print.

Print the positive for the familiar photo: bright areas come out thin and glow. Switch to the negative when the print will be lit from the side you look at, or when the model mounts back-to-front in a lamp frame.

Yes. Generating, previewing and downloading lithophane STLs is free with no account and no credits, and your photo never leaves your browser. You are responsible for holding the rights to the image you upload.