Lithophane

What is a Lithophane?

A lithophane is a very special piece of art from the past. It has a rich history and has evolved over many years

The art has its charms because of the unique way it’s displayed. It’s usually a straight surface of thin material which contains a hidden secret. This secret will only reveal itself when light shines on the back of the material and shows its true beauty.

This special revelation is expressed in a piece of beautiful art that can include highly detailed images. The multiple elements required to reveal the hidden images make the lithophane so interesting to observe! No wonder that the concept is so unique and special in the world of art.

How does a lithophane work?

So how do these images become revealed? The lithophane needs to be a thin material, formerly end mostly porcelain, with varying thicknesses. It’s fundamental for a lithophane to have variations in thickness. Thicker parts within the lithophane will block more light than the thinner parts. This way the material can manipulate different intensities of light passing through the material. 

This creates different contrasts which can be seen with the eye as different intensities of gray. When the contrast is carved out of the material very detailed and precisely it can display very realistic images.

3D printed lithophanes

For centuries, they carved lithophanes out of porcelain. Only artists with years of practice could master the art of the lithophane. The artist carved very precisely on the surface of the porcelain to create wonderfully detailed images.

With the arrival of 3D printers, everything is possible. A lithophane can now be 3D printed from any digital image. 3D printing also allows Lithophanes to be not only flat but also in other shapes like cylinders where they can be lit up from inside the cylinder.