TinyVM Micro Lithopane Viewer

thingiverse

Remember those picture viewers that used to delight kids at amusement parks and other fun spots? You'd pull off the end, insert a picture, put it back on, and gaze in wonder as the light revealed your snapshot. Well, they still exist today! But this is where things take an exciting turn into the realm of lithopanes - (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithophane) to learn more about them. I've created an adapter that uses postage-stamp-sized 3D printed lithos, and I'm thrilled with how it turned out. These tiny lithos measure 35x28x4mm and slide effortlessly into the adapter thanks to the rails I built, as you can see in the close-up picture. When selecting images for printing, I find that https://lithophanemaker.com/ works great with dimensions of 35x28x4mm. Before sending your photo to lithophanemaker.com, it's a good idea to crop and resize it to a 4:5 ratio using a photo editor first. Additionally, you'll want to download the included tab file and place it next to your micro-lithos in Cura (or whatever slicer you're using) so that they can be printed as part of the chain without creating a box. When printing, don't forget to use supports - I used basic Cura supports, which worked beautifully. Just be sure to remove the sides of the port and any excess material underneath the rail for optimal connection.