Lithophane puzzle

myminifactory

I turned a painting of a ship into a three-dimensional lithophane, and then broke it down into individual puzzle pieces using Blender's powerful software. However, Blender's boolean operations proved to be a challenge when dealing with extremely intricate shapes, forcing me to manually intervene and make adjustments to achieve the desired result. To maximize print quality, I recommend printing each piece on its side, which will help minimize any visible seams once assembled. Once printed, simply reassemble the puzzle pieces into their original image, and then attach them to a sheet of paper using a strong adhesive. For optimal results, use high-quality printer paper, such as 80 gsm or higher. Then, simply place the lithophane against a soft candle flame, a warm lamp, or a sunny window to see it come alive in three dimensions. In my experience, print quality directly impacts seam visibility - better prints will result in less noticeable seams, while lower-quality prints may exhibit more pronounced stitching. I also found that gently sanding down the edges of each piece helps create a smoother finish. Unfortunately, the puzzle pieces are not sorted or oriented correctly, but many slicers offer features like "lay flat" or "place surface on bed," making it relatively easy to reorient them as needed. If you have a movable print bed, I recommend aligning the pieces with the direction of movement for optimal results, as demonstrated in the third image.