Beginner’s Guide to 3D printing Lithophanes (Also tips and Tricks!)

In this video I go over my trials and errors on my journey to learning to make lithophane 3D prints. I go over various settings and parameters that you can adjust to make your lithophane pictures even better looking. This was a long learning process to gather all of this information, so I hope it can be helpful to anyone who runs across this video!
Link to lightbox:
www.thingivers...
Lithophane Site: (I don't own this site)
lithophanemake...
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0:00 Intro
0:28 Lithophanes Explained
1:02 Quick Guide
1:40 Frame Options
3:14 Lithophane Resolution
5:12 Layer height
6:21 Other Website Parameters
7:30 Lying Flat vs Standing Up
8:12 Support Material
9:25 Avoiding Voids
10:02 bed adhesion
10:42 Other Filaments
11:08 final print

[@chrisfrisch1347]

brims are not a headache if you use the correct tool. coming from a metal working background i find that a de-burring tool removes it with ease and cleanly.

[@Lensman64]

I've seen quite a few "tutorials" but this one ranks at the top. No nonsense, just the facts. Thank you!👍 A few first hand words about printing Lithos (or anything) standing up from experience (fails). Slower speed is a certainly better choice: Your printer is going to shake like crazy printing these so put your printer on a very sturdy surface. Those "invisible" vibrations will physically manifest themselves as dark lines especially in the higher layers. These lines, in my particular case, directly correspond to the vibration. Slower speed = less artifacts/lines (in my case). Artifacts may not appear in all cases due to variables however in any case the less shake you introduce, the smoother the print will be.

[@viktorbill8125]

This is a GREAT video! I love that you took the time and effort to print every relevant setting to show us how it would turn out! Thanks a lot!

[@DesktopInventions]

Glad it was helpful! Enjoy your lithophanes!

[@legin999]

An *EXCEPTIONALLY* high quality video and very nicely explained. A pleasure to watch unlike some of the many silly "Look at me" styles that seem to abound and just get switched off within seconds.

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks for the high praise!! I'm glad you got value out of the video 😁

[@tpower86]

Went from not knowing a thing to being confident in trying these. Great vid man.

[@clarabean2150]

I do have one note on this video regarding the resolution. The resolution should be in alignment with your layerheight. If you are printing at a .2mm layer height, you won't see an appreciable difference at any resolution set lower than that. Basically if you set the resolution to .05mm on the site, but you are printing at .12mm you are going to end up with an end result equivalent to if you chose .12mm on the lithophane site. If you want to see the benefits of setting it to .05mm then you need to use a .2mm nozzle and set the layer height to .05mm. I know that most people use a .4 mm nozzle, but it makes sense to call that out in your video where that resolution comes from, and how you would be able to work within that resolution and get a better image, by potentially using a smaller nozzle and switching to an equivalent layer height.

[@SparrowLeft]

I'm so grateful that you've shared this information with us. You were so easy to follow along with. Great video man

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks so glad it was helpful! 😃

[@emmaforti4672]

you really covered every question I had with this technique, I expecially appreciate you taking the time and effort to print out examples for every case to show the difference in real prints. Saved me a lot of trial runs!

[@ladonnasieling8144]

Thank you for your video ; really simple and informative. I asked about the light box and saw you answered it in a previous question. Thank you

[@DesktopInventions]

You are welcome!

[@User123456767]

Solid video answered 100% of my questions clearly and concisely

[@DesktopInventions]

You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful!

[@DustinBlodgett]

Fantastic video! I am well on my way to making a lithophane because of your help! Much appreciated and keep up the great work!

[@DesktopInventions]

Glad to hear! The videos don’t do the lithophanes justice. I think your going to be really happy with your lithophane prints!

[@haqeeqee]

I was using a different website to get my lithophanes. It oriented the stl file lying down so I thought that was how I was supposed to print it. Thank you for the guidance.

[@DesktopInventions]

Your welcome! I’m glad it was helpful!

[@Braincho]

7:58 - got the same lines and some small almost holes like here. Is it possible to fix? If yes - how? Does the speed matters - what is the best if yes? Also author compared 0.2 and 1.2 resolution. Interesting what would be the middle... would it be the golden middle at 1.6 Thank you very much mr. Helper!!!

[@ArchBoi_]

Straight forward and to the point. Saved me hours of research, thank you so much!

[@alfredosollai1901]

Fantastico, mi hai risolto tutti i problemi che avevo nel fare le litofanie. Grazie!

[@DesktopInventions]

you're welcome! I'm glad I could help 😁

[@inresponse2632]

Printed my family Christmas portrait, I'm glad to have seen your video

[@DesktopInventions]

Awesome to hear! I hope they loved it!

[@shimmerite_ua]

Amazing presentation, straight to business, I really appreciate the effort you've put into this tutorial!

[@DesktopInventions]

You’re welcome! Happy printing!

[@realtrisk]

Thanks for this video. I hadn't done a Lithophane for a few years and needed to remember how they are done. The software for creating them has come a long way since I last tried it. Looks almost foolproof, now, whereas before it was a gamble if it would work or not.

[@tburda823]

I am brand new to 3d printing and this video was very well laid out and explained. Thank you!

[@deliawood1]

Greetings from Australia. Thank you for an excellent instructional video.

[@DesktopInventions]

You're welcome! Glad it was helpful!

[@vestigialperson1165]

Excellent video. Thanks for sharing your trial, error and testing results. Super helpful.

[@DesktopInventions]

you're welcome I'm glad you found value in the video!

[@roywb31]

Really excellent work putting this together. Full with comparisons and everything. My sincerest thanks.

[@DesktopInventions]

You’re welcome! Glad it was helpful to you!

[@Xanatost]

Prefect!!! Im new to 3d printing and was looking for a good step by step!!! Keep you the good work!

[@DesktopInventions]

That’s great! I’m glad this was helpful for you!

[@codyabel4766]

this is a great tutorial format- much better than other videos on the topic

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks! I’m glad you found it helpful!

[@woodwaker1]

Good video and explanation. I'm working on color litophanes after my neighbor gave me one for Christmas.

[@DesktopInventions]

That’s great! I will study those one day. Did your neighbor use a colored piece of paper on the backside or did they use another method?

[@woodwaker1]

@@DesktopInventions He used a transparency sheet run through his color ink jet printer - the same picture and size. I would like to do a you-tube on my channel when I get it figured out

[@JaysonStark]

Great video!! I am going to try this tonight!!

[@DeroKruspe]

thanks a lot for the guide, question here, is there any up/downside if I print my litho facing the X or Y axis? I read somewhere it should be printed facing the Y axis, but not sure why.

[@andywhatcha3265]

Hi, thanks for the tutorial, having problems getting full support, what settings do I need to change to get the front and back full support

[@glenda9651]

This is an awesome explanation of printing lithophanes. thanks for sharing your tips. just a question. where do you get the light boxes from lol?

[@Real-Tecnica]

The part where you are cutting the square with the razer blade for some reason when I have tried that layer is stuck to the image at certain points and upon try to remove it I end up breaking the image any advice to make it easier to separate

[@DesktopInventions]

Yes I struggled with this before on a part with thin sections. (Anything in the photo that appears white) the thin walls are quite thin and easy to break. A few options here: 1. Increase the x/y distance in your support material settings. This will help if the support material is fusing to that area. 2. Increase the minimum thickness of your part, this will make the thinnest sections less easy to break but will make the overall lithophane a little darker. 3. Print without support material, for many photos this will work just fine, but if you have some larger horizontal ledges in the 3D model there may be some drooping in those areas. I Hope this is helpful!

[@greggtracton2588]

If you print horizontally instead of vertically, you would not need a support, right?

[@Packman332]

Great video, thank you. Heads up to anyone though when thinking about raft vs brim, if you're using Cura at least, you can change the brim distance to .1 and it will not join the bottom layer of the print. That way it still provides the benefits of a brim, without actually touching the model. Super easy to remove. I've had some bad luck with rafts and the gap necessary to pull off as easily as this video. Plus it requires more filament. To each their own, but just wanted to mention that setting.

[@DesktopInventions]

Great advice! This takes the brim and raft and brings out the best of both worlds! Thanks for sharing this!

[@williamralston4949]

You can also just open an image in cura directly it has a rudimentary lithophane function.

[@DesktopInventions]

Ok that’s great to know!

[@daviddaroczi3399]

I would love to see a video about how to make the base you use in the video, because I have no experience with electronics...

[@Shinthaw]

Awesome video, very helpful. I printed my first lithophane last night, and it was alright, but nowhere near as good as yours. I'll definitely be taking notes and trying again.

[@DesktopInventions]

That’s amazing to hear! Keep it up!

[@kerryevans7283]

Thank you so much for doing this video. I want to make a lithophane of my friend for her husband for his birthday. His wife passed away last year.

[@DesktopInventions]

Wow sorry to hear about this. Take your time on the print speed, don't wait to the last minute in case something goes wrong with the print, and I hope it turns out amazing for you/him!

[@knoptop]

This was an extremely helpful video! Thanks!

[@DesktopInventions]

You’re welcome!

[@kent323is]

Pretty helpful with showing what happens with doing it different ways and what is the recommended settings. Cool!

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks I'm glad you enjoyed it! took a few dozen prints of trial and error!

[@BWTECH0521]

I learned so much! Time to attempt this. Wish me luck!

[@DesktopInventions]

Good luck! 👍

[@guyrandom6151]

how do you get a color picture not just black and white seens some dont know how or if its possible

[@ajaxdiver]

Thanks for the video. First attempt work out great!

[@DesktopInventions]

Glad to hear it worked out for you! Happy printing😃

[@therealbeast660]

Are you able to adjust the thickness of the "frame" I have a frame I'd like to put a photo into that I install lights in.

[@emrfish6]

What sort of steps do you take to minimize stringing? I don't know if I just have some white filament from a bad lot or if it is due to user error, but my attempts at lithophanes have been stringy messes and they also have a lot of blobs of material on the back side of the prints.

[@DesktopInventions]

Usually lithophanes don’t have much stringing since the outer layers are a continuous profile. But if you want to fix your stringing I would recommend a retraction test print like 2563909 on thingaverse. It’s a quick print and you can print these and tune your settings to help reduce the stringing. I usually lower the temp to 190C for PLA and use 5 or 6mm for retraction distance. Hope this helps you!

[@namansinghal8595]

Sir can you please make a tutorial about that support light box at the back ! I really need that

[@nikoelo1490]

Awesome video with simply explanations!

[@DesktopInventions]

Glad it helped!

[@davedewitt759]

Super well done👍

[@ZebRoll]

Hi! Thanks for this great video! But can you tell more about face sheet support please? What is the pattern? Lines? My Cura didn't generate sheet like yours, it starting from table somewhere and doesn't looks solid...

[@xodzphone]

For the .2 do I need a .2 nozzle?

[@3dprintedman]

Great overview, thanks!

[@DesktopInventions]

You’re welcome!

[@rangerdish2354]

great video...maybe have a link to it at the top of your lithophane maker page...helped me so much to understand all the settings!

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks, glad it was helpful! Good suggestion, although It's not my page.

[@jamesdunsmore6525]

I failed on my first one,next i printed at 25mm speed and 0.10 layer with no infill in white and wow what an amazing print .

[@DesktopInventions]

Nice job! Did the dark colors look dark enough with no infill?

[@jamesdunsmore6525]

@@DesktopInventions yes was very good,cura stated not water tight but still printed with no problem either.

[@heathermaune3097]

Great video! Thank you

[@BuszmenKudlaty]

Im almost there with the lithophane :P I have learned much from this video :) Thanks Bro.

[@DesktopInventions]

Glad you enjoyed it! Printing lithophanes is so satisfying when they’re finished and hold them up to the light :D enjoy your printing!

[@BuszmenKudlaty]

@@DesktopInventions Because of Youre Tips in video i finnaly print my first Lithophane and is great quality . I didnt expect that from my Anycubic Vyper

[@DesktopInventions]

Nice job! The first one is the most challenging! You’ll be an expert in no time!

[@BuszmenKudlaty]

@@DesktopInventions I hope so :P I am expert in Silk prints . Lithophane is next on my list :P

[@greggtracton2588]

What are the pro’s and con’s of printing the plate vertically vs horizontally (in which case you’d need to print the stand separately)? Are the individual strands more visible in either orientation? Is there a speed difference?

[@DesktopInventions]

You mean portrait vs landscape? Printing landscape will be slightly faster due to less layers and the quality should be better since the Z height will be lower. Printers tend to have lower quality as the Z height grows.

[@kawikadibble402]

Great video. Thank you. Where do you get your light boxes?

[@DesktopInventions]

I 3D printed my own. Here's a link to the model: www.thingiverse.com/thing:5169777

[@dingdongdaddy589]

In 3…2…1… Me: Wow, that is good! Thanks!

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks glad it was helpful!

[@guyrandom6151]

it only downloads in zip format and doesnt go to my printer software

[@madr8b]

Great video. Do you have a link for the light box that you used? I would like to print that out as well. Thank you for this and all your video's. :0)

[@DesktopInventions]

Yes, I've just added a Thingiverse link in the description. Enjoy!

[@ZeonsZone]

Awesome work on the video. I appreciate the indepth overview with examples. Have you tried multi color pictures? Seems like a relatively new process and would be awesome to see a tutorial and review. Keep up the great work!

[@dannyd7426]

What did you do to be able to print white so small without clogging?

[@DesktopInventions]

I haven't had any issue with white clogging on this printer. If you have issues with clogging try changing to a different filament, or drying out the filament. Also clean or change to a new nozzle if yours is dirty or getting old.

[@eyal3919]

Hello, do you know if i can get the electric parts from alibaba in aliexpress? Thank you.

[@DesktopInventions]

I think so, I have the alibaba link in the thingiverse page. You can do an image search on Ali express I think to find it.

[@eyal3919]

@@DesktopInventions yea i already treid to do that but didnt find,so i orderd something diffrent i hope it will be alright

[@DesktopInventions]

@eyal3919 good luck to you I hope it works out!

[@russellmendenhall4259]

It looks so cool when lit up! What is the largest lithophane you have done?

[@DesktopInventions]

So far the largest is 100x150mm. I’ve also done a sphere around 150mm diameter.

[@The_Legend_27]

i tried downloading a stl mutiple times and it downloads as a zip file which cura wont open and wont work to unzip either what am i supposed to do.

[@DesktopInventions]

Maybe the file size is too large? Did you try reducing the resolution some?

[@DesktopInventions]

Also you might try a different software to unzip the file? Usually I use 7zip

[@dingdongdaddy589]

Would be great to see how to do it just in Cura, if possible. Not too fond of uploading personal photos to some unknown site. But appreciate the in betweens here…

[@dingdongdaddy589]

I say that because I am literally in the middle of printing my first lithophane as I write, bout 1/3 done. Just imported right into Cura, winged the settings. Been checkin with a bright flashlight, so far - I can definitely see a picture. But I’m sure there is room for improvement. With that said - I don’t see the need for a separate website to share my data with…

[@DesktopInventions]

Yes you certainly can, there is no standard border options and less resolution settings but it’s certainly possible!

[@ashokmoghe8035]

Nice video. New to 3 D printing & learning a lot of stuff. Quick question which was a bit confusing. So no support = 90 degree & face sheet support = 0 degree setting in the slicer sofrware? TIA

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks! Correct, 90 degrees is no support for Cura slicing software.

[@killerwilsito]

I keep getting small holes when slicing the model

[@susanna1207]

Great video, thank you.

[@susanna1207]

I printed my first one …. And I’m so happy about your video. Everything worked perfectly.

[@DesktopInventions]

Glad you liked it!

[@kwitskwits774]

can i ask what printer are you using

[@1stupidfish]

Maybe I missed it but you're talking about print resolution but you never mention what size nozzle you're using in the printer. I would appreciate if someone could help me with that because I'm currently running a 0.6 but I can change to any size we need

[@DesktopInventions]

For this video I used a 0.4mm nozzle for all the tests. I would recommend 0.4mm unless you're printing pretty large lithophanes you want to view farther away, then 0.6mm you could probably get by.

[@1stupidfish]

@@DesktopInventions That's awesome. Thank you so much. I'm excited to expand what my little printer can do

[@DesktopInventions]

Have fun!

[@1stupidfish]

Just finished my 1st print. It's beautiful. I can't thank you enough for this video.

[@rajwallace8808]

How did u make the box and the light?

[@DesktopInventions]

Here is a link to the model on Thingiverse. www.thingiverse.com/thing:5169777 Also Here is a video where I go through how to make a very similar one for a nintendo switch dock, the process and components are pretty similar. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIjZloiriMp5q7s I hope this helps!

[@nick2000720]

thanks it worked

[@thealmightypancake2658]

Love the video my dude, I'm working on a few 206mm x 206mm prints for a Christmas gift. Just had one question though. How did you add a raft to the print to help with the bed adhesion?

[@thealmightypancake2658]

Lol, never mind I just saw the tab for it as I was double checking my setting!

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks! Yes I just added a raft in the cura slicing software under print settings. Happy printing!

[@071453Baxter]

Awesome Video, very informative. I am curious about the box that you chose to display your flat lithophane, are there instructions for this or is it just something that you hold in front of your phone?

[@DesktopInventions]

yes I did design a simple box here. I just cut and installed a LED light strip and DC convertor inside. www.thingiverse.com/thing:5169777

[@071453Baxter]

@@DesktopInventions Unfortunately, that converter is no longer available, do you know of any other sources?

[@kherrazkoko3204]

That’s amazing man one question do you need a full color printer or any printer can do it

[@DesktopInventions]

Any printer can do it! These prints are actually just using a single color fliament.

[@kherrazkoko3204]

@@DesktopInventions great thanks man

[@D2DMysteriesUncovered]

Hi thank you for creating a wonderful website.. How to determine the dimension of the lithophane for a given image such that it creates a good quality lithophane.. More likely is there a relation between the dimensions of the lithophane and image choosen?

[@DesktopInventions]

Hi thank you but I did not create the website, just telling about my experiences with the settings and how to use it. I would say the size of the lithophane is up to you and how you want to use it. If your image has enough pixels in height/width you can make the lithophane as large as your printer can go without too much sacrifice. Ultimately if you’re concerned you can calculate your dpi (dots per inch) and google “viewing distance vs. dpi” to understand at what distance the image may start to look pixelated. Hope this helps!

[@D2DMysteriesUncovered]

@@DesktopInventions Thank you for the information :D and the minimum size of lithophane i can go for a given image?

[@And1Lele86]

nice work. thx

[@DesktopInventions]

No problem 👍

[@agentfifteen]

wow this is so cool!

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it

[@matthewwilson3673]

Great video

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks! Enjoy your lithophane printing!

[@wnctrailcam]

What about printing speed?

[@DesktopInventions]

That’s a good question! I did speed up to 100mm/s on a fairly simple flat print with a logo and saw some ringing effect around the logo. Not sure how noticeable this would be on a photo with lots of bumps and details.

[@futurecactus]

What file type does the website export? I'd like to import it into Fusion so that I can integrate them into larger prints, is that possible?

[@DesktopInventions]

It exports stl files which can import into fusion but you can really modify them. If you want to do some lithophane projects in fusion i suggest opening the picture file directly in fusion360 I believe they import in a similar fashion and you should be able to integrate them to other designs more easily.

[@greggtracton2588]

I’m still learning Fusion but I have not found a way to import an image; instead, I convert the image to a STL (outside Fusion) and import that STL into a custom frame body I build in Fusion. Next I’m going to try to use Fusion’s volume rendering to estimate the min/max thickness that maximizes the intensities I want visible - is that possible with your tool?

[@kevinrivera1094]

Is 50 printing speed ok?

[@DesktopInventions]

Yea 50 should be ok 👍

[@gatzuuuberserker3931]

Is a risin printer not more usefull for pictures?

[@DesktopInventions]

I haven't tried it! I imagine it would be pretty good at lithophanes, but might be more limited on the size you can produce.

[@stekovi]

Yes, infact I find with even my entry level resin printer, I can print a 4x6 lythophane in 16min or less and have the print resolution of 0.034

[@silentraven37]

do these have to be printed in white?

[@DesktopInventions]

No it does not need to be. but white or off white does tend to look better. Probably stay away from black since it blocks a lot of light.

[@ladonnasieling8144]

Where do I find a light box for the prints

[@DesktopInventions]

I made a video on making a lightbox for a Nintendo Switch you could check out as a reference. Otherwise there are quite a few designs on Thingiverse you could download and print. You'll just have to find a method that works for you to add the LED back lighting.

[@webcompanion]

Were you trying to scare people away from your video with the giant echo / bad mic sound in the beginning? Because the rest of the video is SOLID and loaded with great tips and perfect mic quality! Thanks for posting!

[@peterbreese2575]

Can this be done with resin 3d printer

[@DesktopInventions]

I haven’t personally done it but from the physics of I believe it can be done. The overall size may be smaller on a resin printer but the resolution should be excellent!

[@TheFullcharge13]

👍

[@DesktopInventions]

Thanks!

[@mukulwadhokar1192]

good

[@DesktopInventions]

I hope the video was helpful for you!

[@AFroMinZex3]

for what do you need support wtf?

[@DesktopInventions]

Some photos can have some overhangs that will droop a little if you don’t use support, but most will be fine without

[@nickthebest2076]

What are you high ... just use a generic generator you guy

[@DesktopInventions]

Yea there are many lithophane sites/ways to make lithophanes.