Carve depth

[Sliverfoot]

I just finished carving a litho from a photo and I'm missing some of the detail. I was wondering if by increasing the depth of the carve from .180 to .200 would I get more to show.
The areas that didn't show properly are the kissing child's lips ( all I have is the whitest area of his lips, kind of just 2 spots), there is a spot in his hair that didn't carve at all, his forehead just above the eyebrows didn't carve and underneath the baby's ear didn't show.
Or do I need to go back to the photo and tweek it before importing it?
I tried to attach the MPC but I guess it is too big. 287 and the limit is 286?

[Sliverfoot]

The photo is downloaded from a flash drive, I'm using 1/4 material and it's clear. I've used it before with great results. my software is 3.01 and it will probably be backlit but being that it's carved in clear material maybe not.
The bit optimization was set at best. Yes I've followed the tips in the tutorial, you're right they're great. I do have pattern editor. The depth was at .180 with a height of 450.

[Canemaker]

I've had great results carving 1/4" at a setting of .185 with a height of 666 and a bit optimization of best. Try these setting and look at the lithophane screen.

[bergerud]

I do not think clear is any good. It needs to be white or ivory. Clear does not give any contrast.

[lynnfrwd]

Berg is right. Clear has it's place, but not as litho.

[bjbethke]

I just finished carving a litho from a photo and I'm missing some of the detail. I was wondering if by increasing the depth of the carve from .180 to .200 would I get more to show.
The areas that didn't show properly are the kissing child's lips ( all I have is the whitest area of his lips, kind of just 2 spots), there is a spot in his hair that didn't carve at all, his forehead just above the eyebrows didn't carve and underneath the baby's ear didn't show.
Or do I need to go back to the photo and tweek it before importing it?
I tried to attach the MPC but I guess it is too big. 287 and the limit is 286?

It should work with .180

[bergerud]

BJB, I know you do not have the newer Designer with the litho viewer so I thought I would post this. Smoothing and blurring of Shadermap does not seem to produce good lithos. See the comparison of yours and the original.

[mtylerfl]

That's right, Dan. Not good technique unless someone is looking for that "soft" effect. Keep the photo as sharp as possible to get good detail on a lithophane.

BJB might have thought it was for a wood carving? I don't know.

[Sliverfoot]

I'll try changing the height to 666 tonight when I get home tonight and see if I notice a difference.
And when I carve it again I'll try using white corian. I did a photo of pine cones for my mother in law this winter, in clear, and they turned out great (easy to hang in a window) but maybe white will be the way to go this time.

[mtylerfl]

I'll try changing the height to 666 tonight when I get home tonight and see if I notice a difference.
And when I carve it again I'll try using white corian. I did a photo of pine cones for my mother in law this winter, in clear, and they turned out great (easy to hang in a window) but maybe white will be the way to go this time.

Do you have a photo or two of those? I think a lot of us would like to see how the pine cones look!

For your litho photo you posted, probably a solid color (white, off-white) will look best. I've seen some edge-lit 2.5D relief carvings done in clear cast acrylic and they look good. But I've never seen a litho photo done on clear cast acrylic, though.