USITT Demo Lithophane Box

Overview

This project consists of multiple modules that snap together to hold a lithophane image. The modules are:

• The front “lid” module which traps the lithophane to the rest of the box (see below for Lithophane parameters)
• Three spacer modules (0.5", 1", 2" deep) to increase the depth of the box, if desired, 
• A gel spacer module, which has a built-in slot for adding diffusion material (theatrical gel/frost) between the LED sources and the lithophane
• An LED module, essentially a flat plate for mounting LED tape
• An electronics box module, for adding controllers or batteries internal to the project.

Printing

All modules can be printed flat on a print bed with no supports. 0.25mm layer heights should be fine for all modules, though using adaptive slicing in Prusa Slicer does help get additional smoothness in the attachment tabs. Parts can be printed with a standard 2 perimeters with a 0.4mm nozzle, 20% infill, and typical top and bottom layers. Bed adhesion is important for the two modules with large flat surfaces (the LED and electronics box modules).

Assembly

All these modules snap together using the provided tabs. The only module which is not rotationally symmetric the the gel spacer module, which has a slot cut in the top - if you're using the gel spacer module, it's recommended to use that as the basis for orienting the other modules so that their tabs alight with the notches in neighboring modules.

Lithophane Parameters

The lithophane for this project was created with the ItsLitho website. To fit inside the lid, the Lithophane should be square and between 116mm and 122mm on a side. A 120mm x 120mm image with a 3mm wide, 1.5mm deep frame would be ideal.

While the parameters of the image that will look best will depend on your particular image and filament choice, the STL included in this project has a maximum depth of 2.8mm, minimum depth of 0.88, and was intended to be printed in white PLA, PLA+ or similar.