Choose the right photo

Lithopanes work best with images that have strong contrast between light and dark sections of the image. Portraits with a plain or blurred background are the best, allowing the subject to stand out. not a busy outdoor scene.

The tool will convert brightness to thickness, so very bright areas become thin (lets more light through) and dark areas become thick (lets less light through).

Load your image

Drag your image into the tool or use the file browser. The positioning and crop sliders let you shift the crop window around after you've set its size.

Pick your shape and size

Adjust the sliders to your desired size and shape. The preview updates in real time as you adjust settings. This will often depend on what base model you have decided to use. If you are printing without a base, I would recomend around 100mm X 100mm to start out with.

Set thickness

The minimum thickness controls the thinnest part of the print (bright areas). The maximum controls the thickest (dark areas). The default settings work well for most photos, but feel free to experiment. If your print looks too dark overall, try reducing the maximum thickness. If it looks washed out, try reducing the minimum slightly.

Adjust contrast and export

The contrast slider compresses or expands the brightness range of your image before it's mapped to thickness. This will often not be nessisary to tweak, but can be useful for difficult photos.

Import into your slicer

Open the exported STL in your slicer (PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, Orca, Cura, any will work). The best orientation for printing is with the panel standing vertically (perpendicular to the build plate), as this gives the best detail. Use a layer height of 0.2mm or finer for best results, and set infill to 100%. You should always use brim, as the contact area is extremely small when printing vertically, this will often improve quality as well. Supports are not necessary for a simple rectangular or curved lithopane, but will be needed for more complex shapes like hearts or circles.

How to light it

Hold your finished print up to a window, lamp, or LED panel. The image will appear. You should be able to match settings with different lithopane generators to get a similiar output for publicly available base models.

Choose your shape

Select from the available keychain shapes with rectangles, circles, luggage tags, and more.

Add your text

Type in the name, word, or message you want on the keychain. Adjust the font, size, and position to get it sitting where you want it.

Add layers or Border (optional)

Add another layer for more customization, select it's own color and shape. You can also add a border around the edge of the keychain for a nice finished look.

Configure the keyring hole

Set the size and placement of the keyring hole. The default size fits most standard split rings, but you can increase it if you're using a larger ring or carabiner.

Export your STL

When you're happy with the preview, export the STL. If you're using a multi-material printer, I recommend actually exporting with the 3mf option for better multi-color customization in your slicer. STL will work best if you do manual color changes at the layer change in your slicer.

Import into your slicer

Open the exported STL(s) in your slicer. For multi-colour prints, assign each file to the correct extruder or filament slot.

For a single color printer, just import the STL, slice, and most slicers will let you use the bar on the right hand side to set the layer at which you want to change filament for multi-colour prints.

A layer height of 0.2mm works well, with 3–4 perimeters and 15–20% infill. Supports are not generally unnecessary for simple shapes, but may be needed if you have large overhangs in your design.