In the previous part, I showed how I prepare a photograph before making a lithophane lamp.
Now we come to the moment when an ordinary photograph first becomes a real 3D model.
For this, I use the program ITS Litho, which creates a 3D printable model from a photograph.
In this article, I will show what this process looks like, what basic settings I use, and how the STL file is created, which will be prepared for printing in the next step.
From photograph to 3D model
After the photo is prepared, I upload it to the ITS Litho program.
It is a specialized tool that converts an ordinary 2D photograph into a real 3D model. The program analyzes the brightness of each part of the image and accordingly determines the thickness of the future lithophane.
Light parts of the photograph become thinner, dark parts thicker, and these differences allow the photograph to appear later when the model is illuminated from within.
Model adjustment
After uploading the photograph, it is necessary to define the dimensions of the future lithophane lamp.
In the ITS Litho program, I adjust the diameter, height, minimum and maximum thickness of the model, and several additional parameters that affect the quality of the final print.
For each lamp, I adjust the values depending on the photograph and the size of the product I am making. There is no single universal setting that works for all photographs.
Before continuing, I can preview the entire model from all angles and check if the photograph looks the way I envisioned it. If necessary, I can still make corrections at this stage before creating the final STL file.
STL file ready for printing
Once I am satisfied with the appearance of the model, ITS Litho creates an STL file.
STL is a standard 3D format that contains all the necessary data for printing the model. At this stage, the work in ITS Litho ends, and the model is ready for the next step.
However, the STL file cannot be sent directly to the 3D printer yet. Before printing, it needs to be opened in a print preparation program, where settings such as model orientation, print quality, and other parameters that affect the final result are determined.
Conclusion
In the next part, I will show how I import the STL model into Bambu Studio, how I prepare the file for printing, and what settings I use to ensure the final lithophane lamp is of the highest quality.
Only then does the digital model become a real product.