Make a Christmas photo ornament lithophane

Turn a favourite photo into a tree ornament that lights up: hold it to a window or a fairy light and the picture appears. Round, heart or star, with a hanging hole and a rim, ready to print.

Open the ornament maker

Free to design and preview. Downloading the STL needs a free account.

Make a Christmas photo ornament lithophane

How to make it

  1. Open the ornament maker. It opens set up as an ornament: a Circle 80 mm across, a hanging hole and a rounded raised frame. For a heart use this link, for a star this one.
  2. Upload a photo: a face, a couple, a baby's first Christmas or the dog in a Santa hat, cropped close. The image editor crops it and paints out a busy background first.
  3. Drag the shape on the preview to frame the face, and check the hanging hole sits clear of anything important.
  4. Keep Maximum Thickness at 3 mm and Minimum Thickness at 0.6 mm for a thin ornament that still glows; add Engrave text for a name or the year.
  5. Click Preview, check the 3D view, then Generate STL and download it.
  6. Print it flat, picture side down, in white PLA with the settings below. Thread a ribbon through the hole and hang it in front of a light.

Print settings

Infill100 %
Any gap lets light through unevenly.
Layer height0.10 mm (0.08 mm finest)
Thin layers give smooth tones.
Speed30 to 40 mm/s
Slow walls keep the detail crisp.
Fan100 %
Good cooling sharpens the relief.
FilamentWhite PLA
Avoid translucent, sparkly or dark colours.

Frequently asked questions

What size should a lithophane ornament be?

70 to 90 mm across suits most trees: big enough to show a face, light enough for a branch. 80 mm prints in about two hours on a fast printer.

How do I hang it?

The hanging hole takes a ribbon, a thin cord or an ornament hook. The rim around the edge makes it stronger where the hole is.

Will it glow on the tree?

It needs light behind it: hang it in front of fairy lights or a window. A battery LED tea light behind it works for a table display.

Can I make a set for the whole family?

Yes: make one, then save the settings as a project and only change the photo for the next one. Every one comes out the same size.

Is it safe near Christmas lights?

LED fairy lights stay cool and are fine. Keep PLA away from old hot bulbs: it softens at about 60 °C.

Related tools