🎈 Balloon Lithophane — Spherical Photo Night Light

Turn your precious photo into a magic glowing globe. The photo lights up beautifully when backlit — a perfect birthday or anniversary gift!

🚀 Create One Now

What is a Balloon Lithophane?

A 3D print with your photo embossed on a sphere. The image floats beautifully when placed in front of a light source.

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Light Distribution

Light spreads evenly over the curved surface — uniform brightness from corners to centre.

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Gift Perfect

Birthday, anniversary, baby shower, memorial — a perfect gift for any occasion. Unique and personal.

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Easy to Print

Prints in vase (spiralize) mode or normal mode. No supports required.

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Custom Size

Choose any diameter from 60mm to 150mm+. Thickness is fully adjustable.

How to make a Balloon Lithophane (Step-by-step)

Your balloon lithophane is ready in 5 simple steps.

Choose a Photo

A clear, high-contrast photo works best. Family photos, baby photos, couple photos — any JPG / PNG.

Upload in the App

Open My3DGifts Lithophane Studio and click "Upload Photo". The preview appears immediately.

Select Balloon Mode

Pick "🎈 Balloon" in the shape selector. Adjust diameter, wall thickness and depth sliders.

Preview & Adjust

Rotate in the 3D viewer. When satisfied, click "Download STL".

Print It

Open the file in Cura: White PLA, 0.1mm layers, 100% infill, no supports. Print time: ~4–8 hours.

Tips for the Best Results

📸 Photo SelectionPick a high-contrast photo. Dark background + bright subject = best lithophane. Baby photos and outdoor portraits work very well.

🎛 SettingsStart with 2.0–2.5 mm wall thickness and tweak. Maximum depth around 3.0 mm is ideal. Larger diameter = more detail.

🖨 Print SettingsWhite PLA at 200°C, bed 60°C, 0.1 mm layer height, 30–40 mm/s print speed (slow = better detail), 100% infill is mandatory.

💡 LightingOnce printed, place an LED tea light, a warm bulb or a phone flashlight behind it. Warm light (2700K) looks especially beautiful.