Relief and lithophane from a photo
Upload a photo and see the model and prices right away. We do not keep the photo.
Material and quantity
An estimate from the model volume. The calculation shows the precise print time and material use, and you download the file or a ready project for your printer. No sign-up.
Your photo as a lithophane, a lamp or a raised relief
The tool turns a photo into a 3D model. A lithophane is a thin plate on which the picture appears when you put a light behind it: dark areas of the photo are thicker, bright ones thinner. The lamp is the same photo wrapped round a tube, with a floor for an E27 or E14 socket. A relief is a raised picture for the wall, where the bright areas rise up. Portraits and high-contrast photos work best.
The plate can be a rectangle, circle, oval, heart, arch, tree or your own silhouette from the picture library. You set the width and height up to 250 mm, a frame, a hole or an eyelet for hanging and a desk stand; sliders adjust brightness, contrast and midtones and show how many shades of thickness result. The preview shows the lithophane backlit, the way it looks against a lamp. You order the print from us or download the model for free. The photo is only used for the computation and we do not keep it.
How it works
- Choose what to make. A photo panel for a window or a stand, a lamp with the photo all round, or a relief for the wall without a backlight.
- Upload a photo. Choose or take a picture (JPG, PNG, WebP). Sliders adjust brightness, contrast and midtones; a tick swaps bright and dark.
- Pick the shape and size. For a panel the plate's shape, width, height and frame; for the lamp its circumference, height and socket. Extras: a hole or an eyelet for hanging, a desk stand.
- Create the model. Click "Create the model and show prices". A few seconds later the model opens on the page with a backlit preview, the price and the download.
Common questions
What is the difference between a lithophane and a relief?
A lithophane shows the picture only against light, in a window or in front of a lamp for example. A relief is visible without light, because the bright areas of the photo rise above the plate.
How does the lamp work?
The photo is wrapped round a tube of the circumference you set; inside is a smooth wall and a floor with a Ø 40 mm hole for an E27 socket (or Ø 28 mm for E14). You can also choose an open floor for an LED strip, or a closed one for an LED candle.
Which photo works best?
A portrait or a photo with strong contrast. The brightness, contrast and midtone sliders improve a weaker photo; the tool shows how many 0.2 mm shades of thickness result.
Which material is a lithophane printed from?
White, so that light passes through it. A panel is printed standing and solid, the lamp standing on its floor, a relief lying flat without supports.
Do you keep my photo?
No. The photo is only used to compute the model and is discarded right away. If you come back to the settings, you have to choose it again.
How large can the model be?
A panel up to 250 × 250 mm, a lamp with a circumference up to 400 mm (about 127 mm across) and up to 250 mm high. A lithophane is 5 mm thick at most, its thinnest place from 0.4 mm.
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