Mother’s Day Backlit Lithophane Display

This is a backlit Mother’s Day lithophane photo display designed to look more like a finished framed gift instead of just a flat lithophane panel. The project includes framed lithophane panels, raised trim rings, display stands, backlight spacer/retaining rings, and optional decorative message plates.

The lithophanes were generated from photos using an online lithophane generator, then sized to work with LED backlight boards. The lithophane is printed as a thin relief image where darker parts of the photo are thicker and lighter parts are thinner. When placed in front of a light board, the image shows through with much more detail.
 

This project includes two main lithophane/backlight sizes: a smaller 120 mm x 156 mm version and a larger 156 mm x 207 mm version. The lithophane panels include a built-in border around the photo so the image looks framed. The raised trim rings glue onto the front border of the lithophane to add a small raised edge, giving the finished piece a cleaner and more polished frame look.
 

There are also backlight spacer and retaining ring options. These glue onto the back of the lithophane or onto an existing spacer ring to hold the LED backlight slightly away from the lithophane. This helps the light spread more evenly and gives the backlight a better surface to glue onto. One included backing ring is made for using the smaller 120 mm x 156 mm light board on the larger 156 mm x 207 mm lithophane. That backing ring has a 156 mm x 207 mm outer size, 3.5 mm spacer height, a 4 mm glue lip/overlap around the light, and a 112 mm x 148 mm inner opening.
 

The display stand holds the backlight and lithophane upright at a slight viewing angle so it can sit on a desk, shelf, or table. The front of the stand includes Mother’s Day message options. One version has simple raised “Happy Mother’s Day” text, which is the easiest version to print and assemble. Another version has recessed text and hearts, with matching separate insert pieces that can be printed in another color and glued into the stand. This gives the stand a multi-color gift look without needing AMS or a multi-color printer.

The recessed insert version includes “Happy Mother’s Day” and “Love Chris and Brielle,” but the text can be customized for your own use. You can change the names or message to something like “Love, [Your Name],” “Love, The Kids,” or another custom note. You can also change the “Happy Mother’s Day” wording for another occasion. Just keep in mind that if you change the text, you need to change both the recessed words on the stand and the matching insert pieces so they still fit together.

For the lithophane panels, I recommend white PLA for the clearest backlit image. Light pink PLA can work for a Mother’s Day theme, but white usually gives the best contrast and detail. Recommended lithophane settings are 0.12 mm to 0.16 mm layer height, 100% infill, and a 0.2 mm nozzle for best detail, though a 0.4 mm nozzle can still work. For the stand, trim rings, and backing rings, a 0.4 mm nozzle with 0.16 mm to 0.24 mm layer height, 15% to 25% infill, and 2 to 3 walls should work well.

For the separate insert letters and hearts, print them in a contrasting color such as pink, red, white, or gold. Small individual letters can be tricky to keep stuck to the plate, so keeping the text bold usually works better. If the inserts are too tight, use a small negative XY contour compensation on the insert pieces only. A small brim or mouse ears can help with adhesion, but avoid a large brim if the letters need to fit cleanly into the recessed pockets.

Assembly is straightforward. Print the lithophane panel, then print and glue the matching trim ring around the outside border. Place the LED backlight behind the lithophane. Depending on your setup, either place the lithophane and backlight directly into the stand or glue one of the spacer/backing rings to the back of the lithophane first. If using the smaller light on the larger lithophane, glue the backing ring to the back of the large lithophane, then glue the smaller 120 mm x 156 mm backlight to the ring. 

This design was made to be a personalized Mother’s Day gift display. The photo lithophanes can be swapped with your own generated lithophanes as long as they use the same outside dimensions. For best results, use a bright, clear, high-contrast photo with faces visible.