Turning a GPX track into map art

Difficulty: Beginner (print) to Intermediate (laser). Time: 20 minutes (print) to 90 minutes (layered laser). Works with any recorded GPS activity.

A GPX file is the GPS breadcrumb trail of something you did: a marathon, a century ride, a thru-hike, a sailing passage. This tool draws that track as a bold line over a map, so the route becomes the hero and the surrounding city or terrain becomes the proof you were there. It is the most personal piece you can make, because the line is literally where your feet (or wheels, or keel) went.

The Running Route Map preset ships ready for this, with a sample loop you replace with your own track. The same Route layer works on any base map: drop it over the Topography preset for a mountain trail, or the Race Track styling for a circuit.

Open the Running Route Map preset

On this page (5)

1. Import your GPX
2. Style the route and the base
3. Export
Print & UV
Laser Cutting & Engraving

What you need

Your track

A .gpx file of your activity: export it from Strava, Garmin Connect, COROS, Apple Health, the race timing site, or your watch (look for 'Export GPX' or 'Export Original')

Print (recommended)

The exported 4096 px PNG and a photo print service or your own printer, plus a frame, or a UV flatbed onto white acrylic or metal sheet for a premium finish

Laser engrave

3 mm Baltic birch, bamboo, or a slate plaque; a laser engraver; a fine paint pen for filling the route

1. Import your GPX

Open the Running Route Map preset. It loads on downtown Chicago with a sample loop already drawn in crimson. Use Add layer -> Route and upload your .gpx, then delete or hide the sample Run route layer. Re-search the map location to your area and frame the route.

Frame the route, not the whole city: zoom until the track fills the middle 60-70% of the frame.
Point-to-point routes (a marathon, a thru-hike) read best running corner to corner; loops look great centered.
Leave one quiet corner for a caption: the event name, date, distance, and finishing time.

Example for GPX Track Maps: 1. Import your GPX

2. Style the route and the base

Route: your GPX track, crimson (#C1121F) at width 6. Thicken to 7 for long, zoomed-out routes or for engraving; recolor to a race's branding. Keep it the boldest mark on the piece.

Base map: keep it quiet so the route pops: off-white land, soft water, muted roads. For dense downtowns, hide the smallest street tier and keep only primary roads to declutter. Want terrain instead of streets? Add the track over a topographic or trails base for a hike or backcountry ski route.

Backplate: deep navy (#14213D) behind everything. In prints it reads as the frame surround; in layered builds it is the physical base. Shift toward black for a sportier, higher-contrast look.

Example for GPX Track Maps: 2. Style the route and the base

3. Export

Print: high-res PNG (4096 px), Background toggle on. At 300 mm that clears 300 DPI.
Laser engrave: per-layer SVGs or the combined SVG; colors become engrave-depth hints, with the route as the deepest tone.
Layered build: export the base-map SVG (engrave file) and the Route SVG (cut/inlay file), with the backplate as the cut base.
Add a Hanger hole if it will hang from cord or a medal ribbon; small-polygon cleanup on.

Choose your build method

Print & UV Laser Cutting & Engraving

Print & UV

Framed print

Export the PNG and print at 250-300 mm on matte photo paper.
Add the event name, date, distance, and finishing time as a caption under the map before printing.
Frame with a mat board, or UV-print directly on white acrylic or metal sheet and float-mount with anodized standoff spacers (enable Corner holes at export).

Laser Cutting & Engraving

Engrave on wood or slate

Export the combined art; map the route to your deepest engrave and the base map to a light pass.
Engrave on bamboo, birch, or slate at 200-300 mm; run a test strip so the base stays subtle and the route burns bold.
Paint-fill the engraved route line with a fine crimson paint pen before de-masking for a color pop.
Finish with oil or matte spray; engrave the event details in the quiet corner.

Layered build with an inlaid route

Cut the backplate from navy-stained ply or dark acrylic.
Engrave the base map onto an off-white ply square cut slightly smaller, glued centered so the dark rim frames it.
Cut the route from crimson acrylic at width 7 and glue it on top following the engraved route beneath: 3M tape 467/468 makes a clean bond.

Next steps and project ideas

Finisher's gift: route plus 'Chicago Marathon (26.2 mi) 3:42:11' engraved under the map.
Series wall: one plaque per race, the route color shifting through a gradient down a hallway.
Multi-activity piece: upload several GPX files as separate Route layers in different colors; a whole training block on one map.
Relay or team: each leg in a different color on the same course.
Sailing or paddling passage: draw the GPX track over a coastal or bathymetry base for a nautical keepsake.
Medal hanger: stretch the layout and mount the print above a rail of laser-cut hooks for the medals.