Table Shadow Lantern – Starry Ring

The tealight sits raised on a pedestal inside a 124 mm ring wall. The openings in the wall are not drawn by hand: each one is the exact central projection, from the flame, of an image laid out on the table, so the light lands on the table as two rings of stars spread 15–45 cm around the lantern. It is mathematically computed projection geometry, verified with a ray-tracing simulation of the flame. Generated algorithmically (signed distance fields + marching cubes), checked watertight and printable.

Made for a standard IKEA tealight (Ø38 mm), which sits in a Ø39.6 mm socket; the top is open for heat. For a real flame print in PETG or ASA and never leave it unattended – an LED tealight is the safest choice, as PLA softens near heat.

BEST EFFECT

Use it on a flat, light-coloured table in a dark room. The tealight sits on the raised socket in the middle; the image depends on the flame height, so a standard IKEA tealight works best. Edges are softest far from the lantern because the flame is not a point source.

PRINT SETTINGS

Size: 125 × 125 × 77 mm, approx. 216 g of PLA

Nozzle 0.4 mm, layer 0.16–0.2 mm, 2–3 walls

Print upright on the flat base; add tree supports only where your slicer reports overhangs

Always follow your filament manufacturer's recommended temperatures first

Part of the Revo3D generative collection. Made by Revo3D, builders of large-format Revon 3D printers – revo3d.pl/en