A 3-D printer has opened up a whole new world for Will Haggans. The Manheim man purchased the device recently and began experimenting with what he could do.

"I started looking into cool things to make," he said, noting that his daughter Trinity helped him come up with ideas. "We made some 2020 ornaments. We made a trophy of toilet paper."

Then Haggans hit on an idea that combined an old-fashioned art form with modern-day technology. He began making lithophanes, etched artwork made from translucent material. When a light source is placed behind the lithophane, the artwork is illuminated. Unlike traditional portraits or engravings, a lithophane presents a 3-D image.

"Lithophanes go way back into the 1700s," he explained. "They were originally engraved in porcelain."

After learning that he could use his 3-D printer to make lithophanes, Haggans produced a few and offered them for sale on Facebook, using photographs provided by customers.

"We just did this to see if anyone would be interested," he stated. "The response was amazing. We had so much interest, we added a second 3-D printer and we're looking into getting a third."

Haggans, whose day job is working as a network analyst for Penn State Health, said he'd never made and sold anything like lithophanes before this. It takes him between 10 and 15 hours to make each one, and each one also presents its own challenges.

"No two are the same," he explained. "There is a lot of trial and error involved. You have to recalibrate the printer between each project and adjust it every time. In the beginning, we did have a couple of total failures."

Haggans, who also gets help from his wife, Joyce, and his other daughter, Cayla, is considering selling the lithophanes at craft shows or possibly taking the 3-D printer on the road.

"We're looking into the idea of doing demonstrations on how the machine works," he said.

Along with lithophanes, Haggans is working on expanding his offerings to include items engraved with lasers.

"We've been working on all types of engraved things," he noted. "We've been experimenting with laser etching glass and wood."

No matter what he's making, Haggans said he's enjoying getting creative with his family, and he's happy to bring back an art form that's centuries old.

"It's just something fun to do," he stated. "People seem to really like it."

For more information or to order a lithophane, readers may contact Haggans through Facebook or may email him at whaggans@me.com.