3D printed map vs map poster vs wood map
By Zack, the maker · October 2026
There are three good ways to put a place you love on the wall. We make one of them, so take this with that in mind, but each has a job it does best.
| 3D printed model | Map poster | Laser-cut wood map | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Building heights | Every building in 3D | Flat | Flat layers |
| Area it can show | Up to 2.8 km across (Tiny City) | A street to a whole region | A neighbourhood to a region |
| Preview before you buy | Exact 3D preview | 2D proof | 2D proof |
| Mark places | Up to 5 buildings, in a contrasting colour | A pin or heart | Varies |
| Colour | Up to 4 colours, green parks and trees, 6 palettes or mix your own | Almost anything | Wood tones |
| Depth on the wall | Stands out of a solid wood frame, no glass | Flat in a frame | Shallow relief |
Pick a map poster if…
- You want a whole city or region. A poster can show 50 km of coastline; our biggest Tiny City model covers 2.8 km, and our trail and race maps about 11 to 14 km.
- You want something big for less money, or a set of matching prints.
- You like line art and typography more than the shape of the buildings.
- The spot is narrow, like a hallway, where a deep frame would stick out.
Pick a laser-cut wood map if…
- You want warm wood to match the furniture, and water and land cut as layers.
- The place is about coastline, lakes and rivers more than buildings: a cottage lake, an island, a whole bay.
- You'd like it to read as wood from across the room, and as a map up close.
Pick a 3D printed model if…
- The buildings are the story: the towers downtown, the row of houses, your house.
- You want to see exactly what you'll get. The preview on our site is built from the same map data and the same height rules as the print.
- You want to mark specific buildings, like the home, the school and the café where you met.
- It's a neighbourhood, not a region. That's the scale a model does best.
- You want something people walk up to and lean in to look at. Where the ground really rises, as in San Francisco or Seattle, the hills print too.
Before you buy a 3D model
- It's deeper than a poster. There's no glass: the model sits in a solid wood frame and the buildings and hills stand out from the front, so it sticks out from the wall more than a print does.
- Keep it out of strong sun. The matte plant-based plastic fades over a few years in a sunny south window, like most prints and fabrics.
- It's a neighbourhood at a time. Pick the streets that matter rather than the whole city.
- The map is community-made. Buildings come from OpenStreetMap. Very new buildings can take a few weeks to appear, so check the preview.
- Dust it, don't wipe it. A soft brush keeps it clean.
Can't decide?
Try it: search your address in the designer and spin the preview around. It's free, takes about two minutes, and you'll know whether the buildings are the point.