Kumiko-style Framework Desktop 3x3 Tile

Manually drawn traditional Japanese motifs — the Cherry Tree in Blossom, Mt Fuji capped by Snow, and the Red Sun — rendered in kumiko latticework as the front grill of the Framework Desktop, with the open pattern to permit cooling airflow.

I drew the imagery by hand in Inkscape to produce a layered SVG, which I then translated into a 3d model via AI-generated build123d code. The tile prints as one flat piece 85.5mm x 85.5mm x 4.3mm, mounting hardware facing down and the artwork as the top layers.

japan_tile.stl slices to 22 layers at 0.2mm and relies on slicer to produce supports for the back of the tile, due to the protruding clips and pins for mounting on the computer's front panel.

Print Instructions

Coloring in the Slicer

Because the japan_tile.stl assembles from the svg layers, you can easily paint it in OrcaSlicer's filament painting tool via bucket-fill, with "Detect edges" off. The provided japan_tile.3mf opens with the painting already done. Each shape (waves, land, snow, tree, flowers, sun, grill) forms a single part. Only the sky gets broken up into 13 pieces.

Slicer Settings

Quality:
 - Line width:  # because model walls are 0.8mm
   - Default: 0.39mm
   - First Layer: 0.39mm
   - Outer wall: 0.39mm
   - Inner wall: 0.39mm
 - Precision
   - Slice gap closing radius: 0.00mm  # sharp corners
   - Precise wall: yes
 - Wall Generator
   - Wall generator: Arachne  # necessary for thin kumiko walls

Support:

Enable support: yes  # because clips and pins raise backplate above the print bed
Type: Normal (auto)
Style: grid


Advanced:

Top Z distance: 0.25mm
Support/object XY distance: 1.0mm  # important to avoid breaking clips and pins

Modified Printer Settings

My printer did not include a pause between color changes! So I had to manually insert one in the "Change filament G-code" box:

;==========CC_CHANGE_FILAMENT_GCODE_CCB==========
;===== date: 2025-12-04-001 =====================
M106 S0
M106 P2 S0
G1 Z{min(max_layer_z+3, printable_height+0.5)} F1200
M117 Load {filament_preset[next_extruder]}  # Attempt to display color label (did not work for me)
M600                                        # Pause for manual filament change
M6211 T[next_extruder] L[flush_length] M{old_filament_e_feedrate} N{new_filament_e_feedrate} Q[old_filament_temp] R[nozzle_temperature_range_high] S[new_filament_temp]
T[next_extruder]
;==========CC_CHANGE_FILAMENT_GCODE_CCE==========

Print Detail

The framework tile has small, fragile clips and pins, so a big gap between them and the support allows for clean separation without too much risk of breaking the parts off.

For a good looking pattern (when your printer can auto-change 8 different colors) use layer height of 0.1mm. I manually performed the color changes because my printer only has one feed. I used an AI agent to read the gcode and print a text file of instructions for the color change order, because I could not get the printer to display that information. So I sliced at 0.2mm layer height and manually performed a tedious 37 color swaps. The slicer's predicted 3h print time does not reflect the real time, due to the color changes.

Hardware Used

I printed this on a Centauri Carbon, 0.4 nozzle with Elegoo PLA.

• one piece, 22 layers at 0.2mm, with slicer supports

• print time: the slicer estimated 3h model printing time,
  but I measured the wall clock at ~4h 30m: ~1h 30m to reach layer 16, the first color change,
  then ~3hrs of sitting by the printer swapping in bursts every 2-3 minutes

• filament: 6.81 m / 20.49 g total, including 5.40 g support material
  (single feed, so the support grid prints in the color last loaded - black)

Slot	Color (imagery)	Model	Support	Tower	Total
1	black (grill, clips and pins)	2.16 m / 6.48 g	1.80 m / 5.40 g		3.95 m / 11.88 g
2	blue (waves)	0.42 m / 1.26 g		0.06 m / 0.18 g	0.48 m / 1.44 g
3	green (land)	0.26 m / 0.78 g		0.12 m / 0.35 g	0.38 m / 1.14 g
4	white (snow)	0.11 m / 0.34 g		0.12 m / 0.35 g	0.23 m / 0.69 g
5	red (sun)	0.23 m / 0.70 g		0.55 m / 1.66 g	0.78 m / 2.36 g
6	pink (flowers)	0.29 m / 0.86 g		0.15 m / 0.45 g	0.44 m / 1.31 g
7	brown (tree)	0.11 m / 0.33 g		0.09 m / 0.27 g	0.20 m / 0.60 g
8	light blue (sky)	0.27 m / 0.80 g		0.09 m / 0.27 g	0.36 m / 1.07 g
Total		3.85 m / 11.56 g	1.80 m / 5.40 g	1.17 m / 3.52 g	6.81 m / 20.49 g

• filament changes: 37 (tool changes: 0 - the machine has only one feed)

• the "tower" column shows the purge each color change pushes through: 1.17 m / 3.52 g

Assembly

The support grid should have plenty of clearance so that it doesn't break the clips and pins. But, in my experience, it does not separate easily. Figure out what side gives the best yield point and grip firmly, bending the pieces apart from each other. I found it best (support stuck to itself well) to work along a diagonal.

Behind the Design

Plenty of thought and effort went into this design! I had the idea to make a kumiko panel for my computer many months ago, but found the drawing process challenging.

First, deciding on whether to use a square or hexagonal grid to use as the backbone of the pattern. Drawing out the waves convinced me that hexagons are the bestagons.

Second, iterating on the specific pattern choices. I drew out, threw out, and re-drew patterns until I found ones that fit each component of the imagery.

Finally, I churned through plenty of AI tokens to construct some build123d code (and optimize it down to 10mins execution time) that turns the image into a printable model.

Eventually I achieved several design goals and constraints:

• Kumiko patterns AND the element of the depicted image both contain Japanese symbology

• Panel allows plenty of airflow (this does go on a desktop grill after all)

• Artwork on the top layers (good appearance avoids the first layer squish)

• Gaps between the parts of the image to make painting in the slicer easy

• Avoid some human toil during the design phase (e.g. use AI for the svg -> stl translation)

• Play around with build123d (preferable to OpenScad)

• Easter Egg: Can you identify the tiling pattern that forms the sky?