TAMP: Tactile Accessible Microscopy Printing Workflow

Robert Faulkner, Natalia Gonzalez-Vazquez, Victoria Gamez, Karly E. Cohen, Gunther Richter, Abigale Stangl, Andrew K. Schulz

General Information

This repository contains the workflow for creating cheap, open-source, and small-size 3D printable lithographs described in the paper: "A low-data, low-cost, and open-source workflow for 3D printing lithographs for digital accessibility of microscopy images" (presented at SICB 2026). For related data (e.g., 3D files used in this project), please refer to the Edmond data repository (repository will be available upon paper acceptance).

This workflow converts microscopy images — including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy, and brightfield light microscopy — into 3D-printable .STL lithograph files using only freely available desktop software. Lithographs can be printed on a ~$300–$350 FDM 3D printer from files under 100 MB, for a total cost of approximately $0.75 per print.

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Please read through this repository in its entirety and if there are any issues or comments, please send a pull request. This repository:

• Sets up the dependencies for the TAMP workflow.
• Shows example files going from microscopy image to 3D texture map.
• Shows example 3D prints produced on three printers: Stratasys J835, Carbon M2, and Bambu Labs X1E.

This is the first version of this repository and we will continue to augment and update this workflow for better digital accessibility and more realistic (both tactilely and visually) 3D representation of microscopy images. This repository is linked to the Tactile Media Alliance and See3D and will be continuously updated.

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Features

1. Convert microscopy images (SEM, TEM, SHG, light microscopy) to 3D-printable .STL lithographs
2. Grayscale and filter-based image preprocessing in ImageJ/Fiji
3. STL generation with customizable layer height and length scale via Bambu Maker Lab
4. Support for both external and internal (inverse LUT) texture maps
5. Workflow tested and validated across FDM, SLA, and MJP printer technologies
6. Compatible with single images and multi-panel figures

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Getting Started

Dependencies

Dependency	Version	Purpose	Link
ImageJ / Fiji	Latest	Image preprocessing (grayscale conversion, Gaussian blur, filters)	fiji.sc
Bambu Maker Lab	Latest	STL file generation from processed images	makerworld.bambulab.com
Bambu Studio (or equivalent slicer)	Latest	Slicing and print preparation	bambulab.com/en/download/studio

Workflow Steps

1. Import image into ImageJ/Fiji

   • Convert to grayscale
   • For images with very fine detail (1–2 pixel precision), apply a Gaussian blur filter (radius = 1.0 pixel)
   • Export as .PNG or .JPG

2. Upload to Bambu Maker Lab

   • Generate an external or internal (inverse LUT filter) .STL file
   • Iterate on brightness or shading filters to reduce file size (e.g., ~150 MB → ~75 MB)

3. Slice and print

   • Load .STL into your slicer of choice
   • Recommended FDM settings: 0.12 mm layer height, 0.4 mm nozzle

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Microscopy Images Used

All example images were drawn from open-source, previously published datasets:

Sample	Modality	Reference
Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker armor	SEM	Woodruff et al. 2022; Hoover et al. 2023
α-FeSi₂ gold nanowhiskers	TEM	Huang et al. 2019
Elephant whiskers	SEM	Schulz et al. 2026
Rodent teeth enamel	TEM/SEM	Srot et al. 2024
Elephant trunk skin collagen	SHG	Schulz et al. 2025

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Printer Comparison

Lithographs were validated across three printer technologies for a 10 × 10 cm print:

Printer	Type	Layer Height	Material	Print Time	Approx. Cost
Bambu Labs X1E	FDM	0.12 mm (0.4 mm nozzle)	PLA (~37 g)	~2 hours	~$0.75
Carbon M2	SLA	0.1 mm	Loctite 3843 resin (~45 mL)	~3.5 hours	~$11
Stratasys J835	MJP (PolyJet)	0.027 mm	Vero Black resin (~82 g)	~52 min	~$16

For most laboratories, classrooms, and public-facing institutions, the Bambu Labs FDM printer offers the lowest barrier to entry with the best price-to-performance ratio.

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Future Work

• User evaluation of lithographs with blind and low-vision participants
• Comparative testing across SEM, TEM, SHG, and light microscopy modalities
• Optimization of image-to-height conversion for dense, high-contrast images
• Design guidelines for scale, contrast, simplification, and surface detail
• Exploration of sustainable filament alternatives (biodegradable, recycled)
• Improved accessibility of the workflow itself for disabled makers and researchers
• Expanded documentation, templates, and discipline-specific guides

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Support

Please note that this repository doesn't come with direct support, but feel free to contact us. Our names and contact information are listed at the bottom of this page.

Contributing

Please feel free to contribute improvements or report issues.

Note

If you encounter any problems or questions about specific parts of the repository, don't hesitate to raise an issue. Always provide as much context as possible.

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@misc{faulkner_tamp_2026,
  title        = {A low-data, low-cost, and open-source workflow for 3D printing lithographs
                  for digital accessibility of microscopy images},
  author       = {Faulkner, Robert and Gonzalez-Vazquez, Natalia and Gamez, Victoria and
                  Cohen, Karly E. and Richter, Gunther and Stangl, Abigale and Schulz, Andrew K.},
  howpublished = {Presented at SICB 2026},
  year         = {2026},
}

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License

This project is licensed under the GNU GPL version 3 — see the LICENSE file for details.

Copyright

© 2026, Max Planck Society

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the support of the Tactile Media Alliance. A.K.S. acknowledges support from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. G.R. and A.K.S. acknowledge support from the Max Planck Society.

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Contact

This repository is maintained by Andrew Schulz and collaborators.

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