On a 3D printer, the layered maps you’d glue up on a laser arrive as a single stepped model - the elevation contours or depth bands merge into one mesh that prints flat with no supports. STL gives you a one-material model to paint; 3MF carries per-layer colours straight into a multicolour printer.

The free Map Designer on MyLaserTools.com exports both. (For the full free STL generator lineup, see our MyLaserTools 3D printing guide.)

Best Presets for 3D Printing

Preset Prints As
Topography A stepped mountain terrain model
Lake Depth Chart A carved lake basin
Coastal Depth Chart A sea-floor basin
Land and Sea Relief Map Mountains and water in one
City Map 3D Extruded buildings

Flat single-colour presets (a printed city map) have little to gain from a printer - print those on paper instead.

STL or 3MF?

Format Use When
STL One material; print neutral and paint after. Simplest and most compatible
3MF You want the colours baked in - the teal depth ramp, hypsometric tints, a crimson route

Either way the model prints flat with no supports - the steps are self-supporting.

Step 1: Tune and Export

Frame and tune the map exactly as for a laser build - bracket your terrain’s elevation band, choose a lake with real depth data, and delete empty layers so the mesh isn’t cluttered.

  • Export STL (single colour) or 3MF (multicolour).
  • Run small-polygon cleanup so tiny islands don’t become un-printable nubs.
  • Scale to 150-180 mm or larger - below that, the shallowest band or highest tier can vanish.

Step 2: Slice and Print

Setting Recommendation
Layer height 0.12-0.16 mm for crisp contour steps
Supports None needed
Adhesion A brim helps wide, thin models stick
Material PLA - white or stone grey for single colour

For 3MF, confirm the slicer mapped each layer colour to the right filament and preview the colour slices before printing.

Step 3: Finish a Single-Colour Print

  • Depth chart: brush thinned blue acrylics into the basin, darkest at the bottom, letting it pool in the steps.
  • Terrain: dry-brush a hypsometric scheme - green valleys, tan mid-slopes, white peaks.
  • Seal with matte varnish. Clear PLA for water layers gives a genuinely see-into-it basin.

Make It Yours

  • Print a favourite peak or lake at desk size as a tactile paperweight.
  • Multicolour a depth chart so the teal ramp prints without a drop of paint.
  • Print a city skyline preset and glue it to a wood base with an engraved nameplate.
  • Combine with a laser-cut base or frame for a mixed-method piece.

For the tool’s own walkthrough, see the MyLaserTools 3D relief map guide. New to 3D printing? Read I Bought a 3D Printer - What’s Next?.

Free for commercial use.