# Choosing wood and acrylic for laser-cut maps

> how sheet thickness, wood species, and acrylic color change a layered map build

The single biggest variable in how a layered map turns out is not the design, it is the material. A topo stack cut from 3 mm ply is twice as tall as the same stack in 1.5 mm. A depth chart cut from tinted acrylic needs no paint at all, while the same chart in birch needs a careful stain plan. This guide covers the choices that matter before you hit cut.

It pairs with the build guides for [Topography](/map-designer?preset=topography), the [Lake Depth Chart](/map-designer?preset=lake-depth-chart), and the [Land and Sea Relief Map](/map-designer?preset=land-sea-relief-map) - the presets where material choice does the most work.

## What you need

- [Laser-grade plywood](https://yxecreations.com/collections/laser-grade-plywood) in 1.5 mm, 2 mm, and 3 mm - the workhorse for layered stacks
- [Acrylic sheets](https://yxecreations.com/pages/acrylic-sheets) in a range of blues for water and depth bands
- [3M tape](https://yxecreations.com/collections/3m-tape) (300LSE for wood, 467/468 for acrylic) and/or wood glue
- Stains and matte clear for tuning wood tones

## Step 1 - Thickness sets the stack height



Stack height is layer count times sheet thickness, so thickness is the lever you pull when a design has many layers:

- **Few layers (3-6), e.g. a depth chart:** 3 mm ply gives a satisfying chunky relief without getting unwieldy.
- **Many layers (10-16), e.g. a full topo:** drop to **1.5-2 mm** stock, or chipboard/matboard, or the stack climbs past 40-50 mm and looks like a brick.
- Mixing thicknesses is fine and useful: a thick backplate for stability, thinner contour sheets above it.

## Step 2 - Wood: pick by role



- **Shore plate / top face** - your cleanest, best-faced sheet. Birch or maple takes engraving crisply for the place name and depth.
- **Backplate** - this is the deep water or lowest ground; stain or paint it dark (the presets use charcoal `#1f2937` or deep navy `#0E4C66`). Walnut works unstained.
- **Contour / band sheets** - consistent, flat stock matters more than species here. Cheaper ply is fine for the hidden middle layers.
- Plan your stain *before* assembly - it is far easier to stain band edges on loose sheets than to reach into a glued stack.

## Step 3 - Acrylic: when color replaces paint



- Cutting depth bands from **successively darker blue acrylics** lets the color itself read the depth - no painting, and a glossy, modern finish.
- **Clear acrylic** for every layer makes a ghost terrain or a see-into-it basin.
- Acrylic needs **467/468 transfer tape** rather than wood glue for clean, squeeze-out-free bonds.
- Acrylic slivers along steep shores are brittle - run small-polygon cleanup at export and handle thin bands gently.

## Laser Cutting & Engraving

### Buying the right quantity



1. Count the layers in the on-screen panel after you have deleted empty ones - that is your sheet count for a wood build (one per layer plus the backplate).
2. For acrylic depth builds, buy one sheet per band in your chosen blue ramp, plus a backplate.
3. Add a spare of your top-face material; the visible layer is the one you least want to re-cut from a marginal sheet.
4. Match thickness to layer count using Step 1 before ordering, so the finished stack is the height you intend.

## Make it yours

- Walnut backplate + natural birch bands is the classic warm lake-house contrast.
- All-clear acrylic topo for a minimalist, architectural ghost mountain.
- Glue up a striped walnut-and-maple blank and cut a 3D piece so the layers reveal contrasting bands.
- Cork as a shore plate reads as aged paper under a printed or engraved map.
- Slate or bamboo for a single engraved (non-stacked) map when you want weight and a premium feel.

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Open the Map Designer: https://www.mylasertools.com/map-designer
Read online: https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/guides/choosing-materials-laser-maps