Our Process

Making a Lithophane

The lithophane process starts with your digital image, resized to fit into the image size of a Life Pane.  A custom designed algorithm transforms light intensity into grades of depth which allow more light to pass as the material becomes thinner.  When light shines through, the varying depths appear as shades of grey and an image is present. 


Once the 3D model is created and validated, our Life Panes are printed on a 3D SLA printer with 2K printing resolution.  This process transforms UV curable resin into a solid, durable Life Pane with an image represented in varying thicknesses of material.  The process cures each layer of the image, one at a time and each only 0.05mm thick.  The piece is then removed from the printer, cleaned, and given a final cure to ensure the piece remains in good quality for years to come.  Given the high resolution of the process an the relatively small size of the resulting piece, we are able to achieve near original image quality for a truly breathtaking result.

Making a Display Box

I hand select each piece of hardwood for nuanced grain patterns and vibrant color.  Using a combination of hand and power tools, I craft each display box with the utmost skill and care - creating a high quality work of art you will be proud to display in your home or office or give as a special gift to a loved one.
Once the box is assembled, the electronics can be installed.  A ring of LEDs provide the back light for the display boxes and are paired with a self-healing temperature sensitive fuse.  These lights are rated for 50,000 hours for a very long useful life.  The lights will shut off in an over-temperature scenario to prevent damage to the box and the Life Pane.

Wood Sourcing

Each of our boxes is made from local, environmentally-harvested hardwoods. Our current offering includes Walnut and Maple. None of the wood selections we use are listed in the CITES Appendices or on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - so that we and our customers can have confidence that they are sustainably grown and that their origin is documented, if imported. Using hardwoods also allows us to use traditional joinery techniques. These methods deliver both quality and great looking results, stemming from a rich history of woodworking.  


As wood is a natural product, the grain patterns and mix of heartwood and sapwood are different with each board we process, resulting in pieces that are as unique as the intended person! We truly enjoy the process of reviewing and selecting grain patterns and heartwood/sapwood mixes for each box. Discovering truly interesting designs, such as curly or quilted grain patterns, is something we celebrate - and enjoy offering to our customers in special, limited runs. Please see below for additional information on our current hardwood selections.    

 

Maple:

Color/Appearance: Unlike most other hardwoods, the sapwood of hard maple lumber is most commonly used, rather than its heartwood. Sapwood color ranges from nearly white, to an off-white cream color, sometimes with a reddish or golden hue. The heartwood tends to be a darker, reddish brown. Birdseye maple is a figure found most commonly in hard maple, though it’s also found less frequently in other species. Hard maple can also be seen with curly or quilted grain patterns.

 









 Walnut:

Color/Appearance: Heartwood can range from a lighter pale brown to a dark chocolate brown with darker brown streaks. Color can sometimes have a grey, purple, or reddish cast. Sapwood is pale yellow-gray to nearly white. Figured grain patterns such as curl, crotch, and burl are also seen.

  

Natural Finishing Process

Our finish is a European Hardwax-Oil wood finish based on natural vegetable oils and waxes that is safe for humans, animals and plants and is suitable for children‘s toys as per EN 71.3.  The resulting finish is a safe, lustrous, and micro-porous finish which does not crack, peel or flake.


We apply 2-3 coats with a scratch-free pad which burnishes the finish into the wood as it is applied.  If necessary, a light sanding in between coats will knock down any raised wood fibers to leave a smooth finish that is protective and allows the beauty and texture of the wood to shine through.


If your display box should ever lose it's luster and need to be refinished, another light coat can be applied and buffed to a nice shine once allowed to dry for 24 hrs.