If you're a maker, you've almost certainly printed a lithophane. AzureFilm's Litho White is a PLA made specifically for them, and next to my regular white PLA the difference is easy to see.
A PLA made for lithophanes
Back in September 2021 I tried another AzureFilm filament: PLA Litho White. As usual with AzureFilm, the spool was wound and packed beautifully. I've rarely found a filament as easy to print as theirs. This isn't a regular white PLA. It's designed to bring out the different depths of a lithophane, so when you put a light behind it the image looks much better. I don't know technically how they do it, but I can honestly see the difference compared to the prints I made with my normal white PLA.
What I printed
- A Paw Patrol night light for my kids, with a bulb inside. Perfect lines, no stringing, no debris and no post-processing. Switched on, it looks great.
- An Avengers lithophane: you can't see much until the light goes on behind it, and then the detail appears.
- A Princess Leia lithophane from Star Wars, printed standing upright as it was designed. The difference is clear.
- My own Nanoleaf-style light panels, a design by my friend Giuseppe of 3D Printall: nine hexagons with LEDs inside, which make beautiful light effects as a background.
Settings
I printed in draft mode, 0.2 mm layers, with no special tricks. I just slowed it down a bit and stayed within AzureFilm's suggestions: a 60 °C bed and 200–230 °C on the nozzle. My sweet spot was 218 °C, which gave really great results.
It's not only for lithophanes. Its translucency makes it great for anything with LEDs and light effects, and it's nothing like regular white PLA.