SCHIST · Central Otago
The ground you know, in layers.
Twelve real places in Central Otago and the Southern Lakes, from Tititea / Mt Aspiring to the Cromwell Gorge, 3D-printed here from New Zealand's national elevation data. Each 0.16 mm layer is a contour, and the colour changes at real heights.
- 160 × 160 mm
- From $79 NZD
- 20–49 mm tall
- Hangs or stands
- Printed and fabricated in Cromwell, NZ
Step 1 · Pick a place
Twelve places, 45°S
Tap a tile to turn it in 3D at the top, or design it straight away. Each one is 160 × 160 mm with north at the top edge, shown here beside a satellite photo of the same square of ground.
Step 2 · Make it yours
Design it, then see it on the wall
Try it in 3D
Choose the place, the colours and where they change, then try it with or without a frame, plate and backlight, with the price as you go. It's all in one place.
These are computer renders, not photos. Have the tile on its own, hung on one screw or stood on a shelf, or add a frame, a coordinate plate and a backlight. Choose them in the designer and pre-order the lot.
Made to order. Frames, plates and backlights are made for your tile after you pre-order. Finishes on the real thing can vary a little from these renders.
Pick a place and design yours.
At home
What would it look like on my wall?
The whole set: all twelve places at true size, 160 mm square and 50 mm apart, about 0.8 × 0.6 m on a plain white wall.
A render from each tile's real height data, at true scale. Your tiles will look a little different.
How it's made
From survey data to your wall
Measured, not drawn
Each tile starts as a square of New Zealand's national elevation model: 8 km to 20 km of real ground, every ridge where it actually is. Heights are true to scale, the same scale up as across, so every slope is as steep as the real one.
One contour at a time
Printed in 0.16 mm layers of plant-based PLA. The filament changes at set heights, so valleys, slopes and tops come out in four colours.
Labelled and located
Each tile comes with a card: the place, its GPS centre, the scale, and the high and low points. A keyhole in the back hangs it on one screw, or stand it on a shelf.
A real print of Lake Dunstan + Cromwell Gorge: our first test, in one colour, photographed and placed on a shelf for this picture. Finished tiles print in four colours, like the render beside it.
- Size
- 160 × 160 mm. Height 20 to 49 mm depending on the place. Framed: 260 × 320 mm outside (width × height), 30 to 60 mm deep from the wall depending on the place, or 40 to 70 mm with a backlight. The coordinate plate is 140 × 42 mm.
- Scale
- 1:50,000 to 1:125,000, the same up as across: heights are true to scale. Each tile's card gives its scale.
- Material
- Bambu Lab PLA in four colours per tile, with any lakes and rivers in Blue: mostly Matte, with Basic (slightly glossy) Blue and Red in Alpenglow and Ember.
- Hanging
- Keyhole slot in the back takes a screw head up to 9 mm. Use a screw into a stud or a proper wall plug, and leave the head standing out about 3 mm. Or stand it on a desk or shelf.
- Use
- A decorative piece for adults. Not a toy, and not for food.
- Price
- $79 NZD per tile, $99 for Tititea / Mt Aspiring. Custom colours +$10. Prices include GST. Pre-order any tile in the designer with a 50% deposit; we post within 4 weeks of it clearing, anywhere in the world. Shipping is a flat $12 NZD to any address, invoiced with the balance once your tile is made, or collect it from Cromwell for free. Delivery outside New Zealand usually takes longer, and any customs duties or import taxes in your country are yours to pay. For Christmas, pre-order by Thursday 19 November so your deposit clears in time for us to post before Christmas.
Who it's for
Your place, or theirs
If you live here
The range you see from the kitchen window, or the one you ski every winter, at a size you can hold. Real ridges, real gullies, your skyline.
If you're visiting
Roys Peak, the Remarkables, Ben Lomond: the views on your camera roll, as something to keep. A 160 mm tile fits in a suitcase.
As a gift
For someone who has walked it, worked it or grown up under it. The card gives the exact place, so they can find it again on a map. For a client, a colleague or a new home, frame it and add your own line to the plate, up to 40 characters. Giving it on a set day? We post within 4 weeks of your deposit clearing, so pre-order at least 4 weeks ahead and allow time for delivery.
Questions
Good to know
How does a pre-order work?
Design your tile in the designer and place a pre-order. You pay a 50% deposit by card or by bank transfer, which holds your order; your invoice, with our bank details, shows straight away, with a button to pay by card. Once the deposit clears, we email you to confirm the place, colours and heights before we print. We post within 4 weeks of your deposit clearing. Once your tile is made, we invoice the balance plus $12 shipping, and you pay it in one payment before we post it. If you cancel before printing starts, or if we can't deliver, we refund your deposit in full. For Christmas, pre-order by Thursday 19 November so your deposit clears in time for us to post before Christmas.
What if I don't pay the deposit?
Nothing is printed until your deposit clears, so you haven't paid anything and there's nothing to refund. If it hasn't arrived within 7 days, we email you once to check. If we still don't hear from you, the pre-order is cancelled. You're welcome to design and pre-order again any time.
Where do you post to?
Anywhere in the world, for a flat $12 NZD. We add it to the balance invoice once your tile is made, so you see it before you pay. We post within 4 weeks of your deposit clearing; outside New Zealand, delivery usually takes longer after that. Any customs duties or import taxes in your country are yours to pay. Or collect it from Cromwell, NZ, with no shipping charge: we email you to arrange a time once it's made.
How big is it framed?
The frame is 260 × 320 mm outside (width × height), with 18 mm rails and a 140 × 42 mm coordinate plate under the tile. Its depth from the wall is the shallowest that clears your tile: 30 to 60 mm depending on the place, or 40 to 70 mm with a backlight, which stands the tile off the backing. The designer shows the exact size for your place. You can also choose any depth from 25 to 80 mm in 5 mm steps: shallower than the automatic depth, the highest ground stands out past the front of the frame.
Is it to scale?
Yes, both ways: each tile is a true square of ground scaled down to 160 mm, from 1:50,000 to 1:125,000, and the heights use the same scale. Nothing is stretched, so the gorges are low reliefs (about 20 mm) and the high peaks stand up (Rob Roy is 49 mm). High points come from the elevation grid, so they can sit a few metres under a summit's surveyed height.
What colours can I get?
Each tile is printed in four Bambu Lab PLA colours, from valleys to tops, changing at the heights shown under the viewer. Where the place has lakes or rivers, they print in Blue too, following their real outlines. Try the colourways in the viewer above, or mix your own from ten colours, including greens and browns, and choose where each colour starts.
Is the satellite view printed on the tile?
No. The satellite photo is for viewing only, so you can compare the tile with the real ground. Tiles are printed in solid colours that change with height.
Can I return it?
If a tile arrives faulty, damaged or not what you ordered, we'll reprint it, repair it or refund you, and pay the postage. Custom tiles (your own colours or heights) are printed just for you, so they can't be returned for a change of mind. Standard tiles can be returned within 14 days if unused. Returns and faults has the details.
How do I look after it?
Dust it with a soft, dry brush. If it's framed, wipe the frame and plate with a soft, dry cloth; don't use polish or cleaner on the plate, which carries a printed sticker. Keep it out of heat: PLA can soften from about 55 °C, so not on a sunny windowsill, by a heater or in a parked car. It's a decorative piece for adults, not a toy, and not for food.
About SCHIST
Named from the rock
Central Otago stands on schist: grey rock that splits in thin layers, lifted into the ranges around Cromwell and weathered into the tors that stand on their tops. SCHIST is a small business in Cromwell that makes the same ground again, in layers.
Step 3 · Order
Design and order today
Pick your place, choose the colours, frame, plate and backlight, and pre-order with a 50% deposit. Every tile is printed to order in Cromwell and posted within 4 weeks of your deposit clearing.
A place that isn't on the list, a bigger piece or a set? Tell us about it by email.
- Pay the deposit by card or by bank transfer; the balance plus $12 shipping is invoiced once your tile is made.
- Your deposit is refunded in full if you cancel before printing starts.
- Faulty or damaged on arrival: we reprint, repair or refund (returns and faults).
- Made by SCHIST in Cromwell. Questions before you order? Email hello@schistile.nz.