Shadow Box
Tips for the shadow box generator
Cut each layer from a different shade of card; the Colours section previews the shading from back to front.
- Cut each layer from a different shade of card; the Colours section previews the shading from back to front.
- Foam tape 1 to 3 mm thick between the layers gives the strongest depth; spacer frames make a stiffer box from one sheet.
- Keep the narrowest bridge at 1.5 mm or more for card, and a little more for a laser, so the pattern does not tear or char.
- A light hole in the back board and a small LED puck light behind it turns the box into a night light.
- For words on the front layer, pick a bold font and a size of 18 mm or more so the letters stay strong in paper; a name and date makes a popular nursery or wedding gift.
- Front cut-outs over 100% leave just the corners of the window, which frames a round tunnel nicely.
- For a photo, a tunnel or a frame-shaped cut-out with a large back cut-out leaves the face clear; set the zoom and move it so the part you want sits in the middle.
- To turn a picture into layers, high-contrast images trace best: a logo, a silhouette, line art or a landscape with a clear sky. Raise Smallest detail if a photo leaves specks, and use Bridges or Cut as parts for pieces that would fall out.