Litho filament calibration tool

thingiverse

One of the essential keys to creating a successful litho print is achieving a full range of shading in the image. Making the print too thin will result in a washed-out image, while making it too thick will produce an overly dark image. Since different filaments allow varying amounts of light to pass through and various light sources possess distinct brightness and color characteristics, selecting the optimal litho thickness requires a case-by-case approach. This tool can be printed with the desired filament and held up to the chosen light source to determine which thickness will yield the best image. The graduated platform features ten substeps, each increasing by 0.1mm in thickness. Beginning at zero, the first substep was made a full 10mm in this design. Subsequent substeps gradually increase to 0.9mm on the far side of the long step. The next step commences at 1.0mm and increases to 1.9mm. By holding this block up to the light source, you can accurately read off the exact thickness to 0.1mm that will provide a full range of colors in your image. Observing these prints reveals my first layer is 0.3mm, so the 0.1mm and 0.2mm steps were not printed. The photos demonstrate a comparison between translucent green filament and wood filament. They also illustrate how a standard incandescent nightlight bulb requires a thicker print than a white 12V EL panel.