The microPainter uses a LED strip to draw detailed two-dimensional images as it is rolled through a long exposure photograph. During the long exposure photography, the sensor is exposed for many seconds, sometimes minutes.

There are two main processing units: an FPGA and Raspberry Pi. The FPGA is connected to a rotary encoder at the base of the device, and is used to measure distance traveled. The Raspberry Pi controls the light strip and hosts the server where user can upload their images.