Making pictures into 3D things adds emotion and literally a new dimension to them. Among the numerous methods, lithophanes are a simple way to enhance your favourite pictures.

Lithophanes are basically embossed photographs produced by a 3D printer. The print results don't appear to reveal much at first but shine a light through one, and you'll be amazed. It works by allowing light to flow through the thin parts while being obstructed by the thick parts. The variations in light bring out the image details.

There are many tools for turning your pictures into a lithophane model. Still, almost all of them are online tools or desktop software. The Creality Cloud app has a built-in Lithophane Maker, which keeps things simple and streamlined. You can easily make a lithophane on your phone.

Here's How:

Make a Lithophane Model

1. Prepare a photo that you'd like to turn into a lithophane. This tutorial will print a picture of Sun Wukong, a legendary mythical figure from the Chinese novel Journey to the West.

2. Openthe Creality Cloud app on your phone, tap > 3D Models > Tools > Lithophane Maker > GO

3. In the Lithophane Maker, tap "Start" to add a photo you'd like to use.

4. Then it will automatically turn to your camera roll from where you can choose your favourite picture. Tap "original" to make your uploaded picture clearer, and tap "Done" to move to the photo editing.

In photo editing, the size of the image is adjustable. And you can add effects like "Sketch", "oil", or "contrast" to your picture. In addition, you can text whatever you want by double-clicking the white box as is shown to describe the image more vivid.

5. After finished editing, tap "Next" to upload your design.

6. In the New Model Group, you will be redirected to the Model Upload page. Fill in relevant information the way you like, and tap Submit. Your lithophane will be exported as an STL file.

Slice Your Lithophane Model

Slice your lithophane just like any other 3D model. You can use Creality Cloud's built-in slicer or your own favourite slicers. In this tutorial, we sliced the model using the built-in slicer.

Slicing should be as straightforward as it is with any other 3D model. However, there are a few things to bear in mind:

If you intend to print your lithophane vertically, set the layer height as low as possible.
It's best if you print at low speeds. Try to keep it under 2000 mm/min.
Setting the infill to 100% will allow the light to perform its job more effectively.
Transparent filaments should not be used.

Let the printer do the job

Check out the print result. It may appear to be a flat piece of plastic with a few scratches…

…but place it in front of a light source, such as LEDs, and you will WOW.

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We hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and you are more than welcome to share your beautiful lithophane with the community.

Lithophane Tutorial