Creating meaningful custom “Lithophanes,” a handcrafted gift of light
From Andover 3D Photos, Andover3dphotos.com
Have you had trouble finding presents that speak from the heart more than the wallet? Do you want to go above and beyond just snagging an Amazon gift card for someone special? Tired of looking on Etsy and only finding drop-ship companies routing goods through China?
Well good news: a new business within Allegany County launched this past May, “Andover 3D Photos”. Owned and operated by Mike Stone and as the name suggests, is run from his workshop within the village of Andover.
Andover 3D Photos specializes in a unique type of 3D printing to produce “Lithophanes”, which at first appearance, just appear to be blank white panels with ridges. But when light is shown through them, they reveal the hidden image within the panel. The thicker the material, the darker the element of the print. The result is a stunning photograph bathed in light.
“Everyone with a 3D printer seems to set up booths selling a lot of the same things; dragons and the like. That’s perfectly fine – heck, I gave out dragons to trick-or-treaters for Halloween last year, they’re great! However, I wanted to do something unique… something heartfelt. Lithophanes have been around since 3D printing first started, but most people just print the panel and sell a cheap puck light to mount at the back. I wanted to go a few dozen steps further, combine 3D printing with woodwork laser engraving as well as my background with electronics,” Mike says.
Andover 3D Photos can take any photograph and produce a customized lithophane panel. These are then housed in bespoke lightboxes, wired for USB-C connection, and engraved with inscriptions to be completely tailored to the customer’s desires. Sizes follow standard US photo sizes and range from 4×6 to 8×10.
Despite just launching, Michael has already sold and shipped custom 3D photo lightboxes across the nation and is currently finalizing an order from the Netherlands.
“Ironically, photos don’t do these justice; they really are amazing to see in-person. I’ve encountered countless people that have held them in their hands and thought of a million examples of gift ideas, from graduation pictures to putting engagement photos on display at wedding reception, or even a tasteful memorial display in reverent memory of a lost loved one. If there is a particular photo you have of a cherished memory, this is a beautiful way to display that moment in time.”
Mike manufactures these from scratch completely locally, from printing the panels to designing, crafting, and wiring the lightboxes that the panels will rest in.
“I wanted to design everything myself and I am meticulous in my detail. I must have made and destroyed 30-40 of these before I achieved a standardized build quality I am satisfied with. I wanted to make something truly unique, without the assistance of AI or box kits from Amazon.”
You can see some of these Lithophanes right now in Wellsville at B.D. Concessions and Tami’s Floral Expressions, or visit Mike at his booth at the upcoming Andover 4th of July celebration. If you’d like to place a custom order, you can visit his site at: https://andover3dphotos.com.
