Wood Map of Portland Oregon - Laser Engraved

Portland, Oregon

This ultra-high detail map of the greater Portland area features the cities of Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington along the Columbia and Willamette rivers.  Within the boundaries of the map are the cities of Beaverton to the West, Lake Oswego to the South, and Portland Airport to the East. Intrigued by the intricacy of the map, an observer may notice Portland’s numerous bridges along the city’s riverscape or its vast natural terrain. No matter how many times you look at this map, each glance is sure to invite discovery.  With this piece, the beauty and timelessness of cartographic art speak for themselves.

Our process uses micro-3D engraving to represent fine details across several layers of the artwork. The deepest layer is the core of the plywood below the veneer, and the highest layer is a clear gloss. Each meticulously mapped layer is represented by a specific laser intensity and frequency, resulting in an engraving with subtle nuance in its gloss, depth, and texture.

Bridges and overpasses are mapped to the lowest power, so they are represented on the top layer (least engraved), while large roads and tunnels are set to high power for the extra depth. Farms, forest and parks landscapes, industrial areas, universities, and schools all have distinct textures that distinguish them on the map. Water, in all its forms, is represented by a mesmerizing wave pattern. Open natural areas are left untouched and retain the beauty of the base material. 

Map data is provided by Open Street Maps and ESRI for accurate cartographic projections and is processed in a way that allows Alpha Channel Design to produce custom large area maps with the maximum level of map detail at the highest resolution the material can handle (typically 300-600dpi).

Frame: Matte Black, High-grade Douglas Fir

Mounting: Pre-installed sawtooth mount

Dimensions: Artwork with frame: 14" x 26.5"

Weight: 5 lbs.

Orientation: Vertical

Wood Type: Vertical Grain Fir Veneer Plywood, Poplar

Country of Origin: USA