About Relievo
Relievo designs and makes topographic relief maps, 3D-printed to order. Starting from a real location (a mountain, a city, a coastline, your neighbourhood), we generate a faithful 3D model of the terrain — elevations, buildings, roads, waterways and natural areas — then print it in colour and assemble it by hand. Each map is a one-off piece, made to order.
Relievo is an independent project launched in 2026, based in Ariège (France). Maps can be generated anywhere in Europe, Iceland included. For the time being, production and delivery are available in mainland France only.
The making process
Every map follows the same process, from choosing the location to shipping.
- Choosing the location. You enter an address, GPS coordinates or pick a suggested place. You then set the dimensions, the shape (rectangle, square, round, octagon) and the scale.
- Gathering the data. The relief comes from public digital terrain models — IGN RGE ALTI in France, which is finer, and the European Copernicus GLO-30 model elsewhere, on a 30-metre grid. Landscape features (buildings, roads, waterways, forests, zones) come from OpenStreetMap, a collaborative and open mapping project. In certain covered areas of France, the map can also be generated from IGN LiDAR HD surveys: a 3D point cloud that renders finer relief, the real shapes of buildings and vegetation.
- Generating the 3D model. In-house software automatically converts this data into a printable relief: terrain surface, cut-off walls, buildings as volumes, and colours assigned by zone type (land, water, roads, vegetation) directly in the model.
- Splitting into modules. Large maps are split into several assemblable tiles, joined by a built-in connector system under the pieces. This makes it possible to print and ship formats larger than a single printer.
- 3D printing. The parts are printed using fused deposition modelling (FDM), in several colours, on Bambu Lab printers. The manufacturing file is a multi-colour 3MF.
- Assembly and inspection. The tiles are assembled by hand, the map is checked manually and photographed from several angles before shipping. Visible defects are corrected before dispatch.
- Packaging and shipping. The map is secured in rigid packaging and shipped in a tracked, insured parcel.
> In short: Relievo turns real cartographic data into a physical 3D-printed object, made on demand, in France.
What you can customise
The configurator shows the options actually available and their price. Depending on the product, you can set:
- The location, dimensions, scale, shape (rectangle, square, round, octagon) and orientation of the map.
- The frame: present or not, its colour, or frameless edges (rounded corners, flat coloured edge).
- The zone colours (land, water, roads, vegetation).
- Buildings: shown or not, and relief roofs instead of flat tops.
- The relief: vertical exaggeration, snow above a given altitude, grouping small peaks into more readable massifs.
- LiDAR HD relief on covered French areas.
- An imported GPX track (hike, run) printed in relief on the map.
- A highlighted feature: a house, a path, a property boundary or a landmark point.
Materials
- PLA — indoor use, matte finish, rigid and durable.
- PETG — more resistant than PLA to UV, heat and moisture.
- ASA — the most resistant of the three (UV, heat, moisture).
The material is chosen during configuration, according to the intended location. Our maps remain indoor objects: no material is warranted for prolonged outdoor exposure.
Production times
As each map is made to order, the lead time depends on the number of orders in progress and the production capacity available when you order.
This time is shown before payment and confirmed by email once the order is validated. It tends to shorten as the workshop's production capacity grows.
You are notified by email in the event of a significant delay compared with the time initially given.
Shipping
Mainland France only, for now.
The carrier and shipping costs are specified and shown before payment, based on the weight and dimensions of your order.
Each map is protected by suitable rigid cardboard, internal padding, a "FRAGILE" marking and included transport insurance. Maps are delivered as a kit, with all assembly parts and instructions.
Wall mounting
Maps are designed to be hung on a wall, with no special tools. Relievo provides pre-drilled mounting holes in the frame, a paper template to mark the drilling points, and instructions with wall-plug recommendations depending on the wall type.
Indicative weight: about 1 kg at 30×40 cm, about 3 kg at 50×70 cm, about 6 kg at 70×100 cm. Drilling and choosing the right wall plugs for your wall (plasterboard, concrete, brick) remain your responsibility.
Warranty and returns
Each map is assembled and checked by hand before shipping.
What is covered:
- Obvious non-conformity (wrong dimensions, incorrect location, structural defect) — reported within 7 days of receipt, with photos: replacement or refund.
- Damage in transit — all parcels are insured; damaged parts are reprinted free of charge.
What is not covered: drops or impacts after receipt, PLA exposed to UV or moisture, excessive heat (over 50 °C), and the micro-variations in texture or layer lines inherent to 3D printing.
Replacement parts: each module has a number on the back; if a part breaks, you can order only the missing piece, without rebuying the whole map.
Right of withdrawal: as the maps are made to measure, the right of withdrawal does not apply (article L221-28 of the French Consumer Code). No return is possible once the order is validated, except for a proven defect.
Cartographic data and limitations
Maps are generated from OpenStreetMap data (landscape) and public elevation data (relief): IGN RGE ALTI in France, Copernicus GLO-30 elsewhere in Europe. This data is free, collaborative and maintained by volunteer contributors. Its level of detail varies greatly from one area to another, and this variation has nothing to do with how important or well-known a place is.
Outside France, the relief is computed on a 30-metre grid instead of the finer French data. On a mountain map the difference is barely visible. On flat ground or over a small area, the terrain comes out smoother.
In practice, a building — whatever its importance, including a famous monument, a castle or any other landmark — may simply be absent from the data, and therefore absent from the map. The same applies to houses, entire roads, rivers or other landscape features. This is not a manufacturing defect: Relievo does not create the data, it transforms it as it exists at the time of the order.
When a building is present in the data, it is represented by a simplified volume: a base matching its ground footprint, topped by a generic roof (sloped, pyramidal or hipped) derived from that outline alone, with no correspondence to the real roof and no architectural detail. This includes landmarks: a castle, a cathedral or a famous tower will also appear in this simplified form.
On areas generated with LiDAR HD, the result is more faithful (real building shapes, vegetation), but depends on the date and density of the IGN survey: a recent construction may be missing, and objects present during the flight (vehicles, vegetation) may appear as approximate volumes.
The layer lines visible on the sides are part of the natural look of 3D printing (normal geometric tolerance, on the order of ±0.5 mm).
Frequently asked questions
Can I order anywhere in the world? Not yet. Maps can be generated anywhere in Europe, Iceland included. Outside that area the location is unavailable. Delivery is still limited to mainland France for now.
Are the maps in colour? Yes. The zones (land, water, roads, vegetation) are printed in several colours for better readability.
Can I just download the 3D file? Yes. In addition to printed maps, Relievo lets you generate and download the 3D file (3MF) of your location, ready to print at home. This product is subject to specific conditions (see the Terms): no guarantee of results depending on your machine, no refund after download.
Who makes the maps? Relievo, an independent workshop based in Ariège. Each map is printed, assembled and inspected by hand.
Contact
Email: contact@relievo.fr — reply within 48 hours maximum.
Social media: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook (links coming soon).
Credits
- Cartographic data: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- Elevation data: digital terrain models IGN RGE ALTI (France) and Copernicus GLO-30 (Europe).
- LiDAR HD data: IGN (France), for high-fidelity generation.
- Relief generation: proprietary software developed by Relievo.
Relievo is an independent project launched in 2026, based in Ariège. A big thank-you to everyone who supports this project.