How to choose the framing of a topographic relief?

Two people can create a relief of the same route and end up with two very different pieces. The difference? The framing: the area represented, its size, its orientation.

This is the most important decision for your creation — and the most enjoyable to make, since the configurator's 3D preview shows you each option before you choose. Here's how to think about it.

1. Decide what the piece should tell

Before zooming in or out, ask yourself: what was important?

• The moment — the summit, the pass, the finish line: frame tightly around this point.
• The whole picture — the complete loop of a trail, the entire traverse: frame wide so that the whole trace fits.
• The place — the mountain itself, with or without a trace: frame on the most recognizable terrain shape.

2. Tight or wide: the two effects

Tight framing creates drama: slopes appear steeper, terrain details stand out, the piece has character. This is often the right choice for a pass, a summit, or a legendary section.

Wide framing provides context: you can read the entire route at a glance, understanding the geography. This is the right choice for an ultra, a trek, a road trip — and remember that a relief can accommodate up to three traces, which sometimes argues for a common frame.

3. Watch the edges

A trace that brushes the edge of the piece gives a feeling of being cramped. Let your route breathe: a little terrain around the trace highlights it — this is exactly what the 3D preview allows you to adjust.

4. Orientation matters

The configurator offers four orientations: north, south, east, or west. The chosen side becomes the front face of the piece — the one you look at first. A mountain often has a "face," the slope everyone knows; a route has a reading direction, from start to finish. Test all four orientations in the 3D preview and keep the one that presents this face to the viewer.

5. The format also plays a role

The three formats (10 × 10, 15 × 15, and 20 × 20 cm) are manufactured with the same level of detail. Very rich terrain — branched valleys, multiple ridges — benefits from a large format; a simple and strong subject looks great in a smaller size.

The ultimate test: the 3D preview

No rule replaces testing. In the configurator, test two or three framings of the same location, rotate them in 3D, compare — then validate the one that speaks to you. What you validate is exactly what we manufacture.

And if you're still hesitant, write to us: we're happy to advise on framing.

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