# Making an ocean depth chart with the Coastal Depth Chart preset > real ocean depth bands stepping down around an island or coastline This is the bathymetric depth chart, pointed at the sea instead of a lake: five ocean depth bands stepping down through teals to a deep navy floor at the bottom. The preset loads on Australia and its surrounding seas, where the continental shelf and ocean depth bands ring the whole coast, and it adapts to any island or coastline with depth data. ## What you need ### Laser cutting - 5 sheets of 3 mm [laser-grade plywood](https://yxecreations.com/collections/laser-grade-plywood) (the 5 depth bands) - or 5 shades of blue [acrylic](https://yxecreations.com/pages/acrylic-sheets) for the bands - 1 backplate sheet, painted or stained dark (`#0A3F5E` deep navy in the preset) - Laser cutter, glue, weights, masking tape ### 3D printing - FDM printer; multicolor (3MF) strongly recommended for the depth ramp, or single color + paint - 3MF-capable slicer ### UV print / sublimation - High-res PNG, flat blank - it reads as a vintage nautical chart ## Step 1 - Start from the preset Open [the Coastal Depth Chart preset](/map-designer?preset=coastal-depth-chart). It loads on Australia at zoom 4.2 - the continent and its surrounding seas fill the square frame. Search your coast and zoom so the shoreline and the surrounding water fit with a margin. Ocean depth comes from real public bathymetry, so coverage is global, but the bands are coarse very close to shore - pick a spot with a real drop-off (an island, a bay, a reef) so the rings read. If the preview shows flat water with no bands, the depth is too uniform there; nudge to a steeper coast. ## Step 2 - Tune the layers Two groups, top to bottom: - **Ocean depth** - bathymetry on the Ocean source with *invert as holes*, five bands from `bathymetryBand1` (`#CDEBEA`, shallow) through `#9FD6DB`, `#6FBFCD`, `#3F9FBE` to `bathymetryBand5` (`#1E6F96`, deep). Each is a plate with the deeper water removed, so the sea floor steps down. Band 1 is the visible top face - the shallowest water at the shoreline. - **Backplate** - `#0A3F5E` deep navy, the deepest water. ## Step 3 - Export - **Laser:** per-layer SVG ZIP, inversion left on, small-polygon cleanup on (depth contours produce slivers along steep shores). Add a Hanger hole ring if it'll hang. - **3D printing:** 3MF for the color ramp; STL for single color. - **UV print:** high-res PNG; recolor band 1 first so the shallowest step shows. ## Laser Cutting & Engraving ### Laser cutting 1. Cut the **Backplate** from your darkest material. 2. Cut the five **Ocean depth** plates, deepest (band 5) to shallowest. Pencil the band number on each back - they nest and are easy to mix up. Band 1 is the visible face, so use your cleanest sheet for it. 3. Dry-fit: backplate → band 5 → 4 → 3 → 2 → 1. Check against the on-screen chart. 4. Glue bottom-up, weight it, then sand the outer edges flush so the stack looks like a solid block. For acrylic bands, [3M tape](https://yxecreations.com/collections/3m-tape) 467 or 468 bonds them cleanly. 5. Finish with matte clear; paint or stain band edges before assembly if you cut everything from one wood. ## 3D Printing ### 3D printing 1. Export the 3MF - five teal bands and the navy floor come in pre-colored. Single-extruder: print the STL in white and flood the basin with thinned blue acrylics, darkest at the bottom. 2. Print flat, no supports, 0.16 mm layers for crisp depth steps. 3. 180–220 mm wide preserves narrow channels; run cleanup at export to drop unprintable slivers. ## UV & Sublimation Printing ### UV print / sublimation 1. Export the high-res PNG with the depth ramp as-is, or recolor band 1 for more contrast at the shoreline. 2. Print on hardboard or sublimate onto a white metal panel - the chart style suits a thin float frame. ## Make it yours - Atolls and reef islands shine: Bora Bora, Maupiti, Aitutaki - the lagoon-to-deep drop makes near-concentric rings. - Swap the teal ramp for navy-to-ice: `#0B2E4F`, `#15507E`, `#2E78A6`, `#6FA8C9`, `#B8D8E8`. - Stain the island plate walnut and leave the bands natural for the classic chart-house look. - Engrave the island name, coordinates, and a compass rose on the island plate before assembly. - Ornament version: 100 mm circle export shape + Hanger hole ring. - Pour clear epoxy over the assembled basin for a glassy, bar-top finish. --- Open the tool: https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/guides/coastal-depth-chart Read online: https://www.mylasertools.com/learn/guides/coastal-depth-chart