3D Printed Lithophanes
Ever since I first saw a lithophane in a YouTube video I have thought they were really cool. I have made cylindrical lithophanes previously with my CNC machine. When I bought my 3D printer I thought I would give printing lithophanes a shot. I tried working lithophanes into Christmas ornaments with marginal success (See some of the ornaments here). After a little refining I printed some pictures on a cylinder and a night light cover. I removed the original night light cover and replaced it with a 3D printed version. The nightlight worked out well since it was a purposeful back light for the lithophane. Below are some pictures of the results. The cylinder is back lit by a battery operated tea light candle (the pictures are the front and back of the same cylinder). I spent a bunch of time making the STL file only to find that there are utilities that other people have made available for making cylindrical lithophanes. Here is a link to one I found on Thingiverse: Customizable Cylinder Lithophane Lamp.