Are these real raised cards?

Yes. Everything photographed on this page is a physical production proof, made in July 2026. The shaded-relief image is printed first, then a metal die presses the terrain into the paper. The relief you feel is the card itself, not a printed illusion.

Is the relief an exact scale model?

No. The landforms are derived from real elevation data, but the vertical relief is adjusted so terrain differences remain visible and touchable at postcard size. We will not describe the cards as "true to scale."

Which cards exist so far?

Four: California, Colorado, Washington, and the United States card. They are printed, embossed and trimmed — real cards, not renderings — made to check terrain detail, ink, paper, embossing pressure, and feel. The other 47 states do not exist as finished cards yet.

Every design needs its own metal embossing die, cut before a single card can be printed. Forty-seven dies remain, and they are the largest single cost in this project. The campaign funds those dies, the remaining state designs, and the printing and embossing run.

Can they be mailed as postcards?

They are designed as 4 × 6 in postcards with a stamp area and writing space. Mailing tests are still underway; final paper, embossing depth, postage, and handling details will be confirmed before production.

Is the campaign live now?

Yes. The campaign is live on Kickstarter and closes October 22, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET (7:00 AM PT). It is all-or-nothing: your card is only charged if the project reaches its funding goal by then.

I joined the list. Where's the welcome email?

A welcome email from hello@farmaps.earth goes out within a few minutes of signing up. We're a new sender, so it often lands in Spam or Gmail's Promotions tab — look there, mark it Not spam, and add us to your contacts so our updates get through. Still nothing? Write to us. You can also back the project on Kickstarter, where updates reach you independently of email.

Real elevation data · physically embossed

Feel the
country.

The terrain is physically raised. Postcards you can feel, for all 50 states and the USA.

Join 1,900+ people already on the list. Production-proof updates, behind-the-scenes notes, and launch details. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy.

Back this project on Kickstarter

1,900+ people are on our launch list. Prefer email updates?

51planned cards
4 × 6 inpostcard format
Live nowEnds October 22, 10:00 AM ET

United States relief postcard production proof stacked with other cards on a black table beside a plant — United States production proof · photographed July 2026

Enter the terrain

Feel the terrain

Most maps you look at. Far Maps you feel.

The image is printed. The terrain is physically embossed. Raking light reveals the same ridges and valleys your fingertips meet.

A fingertip touching the raised terrain on a Washington relief postcard production proof — Washington relief · tactile surface under raking light

Low raking light across the embossed surface of a United States postcard production proof — Mountain relief under raking light · printed, then embossed

A fingertip tracing the raised western mountain ranges on a United States postcard production proof — Fingertip scale · raised terrain

Edge-on close-up showing the thickness and raised relief of a United States postcard production proof — Side view · relief raised above the paper

Fingertips touching the embossed mountain ranges on a United States postcard production proof — Fingertips following the raised terrain

Close-up of embossed ridges and shaded-relief printing on a United States postcard production proof — Shaded-relief print · aligned with the raised surface

Production proofs

All 50 states and the USA. These are the first four.

California, Washington, Colorado, and USA are the current physical tests for color, paper, relief, and handling.

California production proof photographed straight on, the raised terrain standing off a white card above the printed state name — California · the Golden State

Washington production proof photographed straight on, showing the raised Cascades and Olympic ranges above the printed state name — Washington · Evergreen State

Colorado production proof photographed straight on, the raised Rocky Mountains meeting the flat eastern plains above the printed state name — Colorado · Centennial State

United States production proof photographed straight on, with Alaska and Hawaii inset below the raised continental terrain — United States · Feel the country

Design artwork for the USA at Night bonus card: the United States drawn by its night-time lights, with Alaska and Hawaii insets — USA at Night · bonus card artwork

Far Maps rigid lift-off-lid box sample: the base holding the United States proof card, beside the lid printed Feel the country, 51 embossed map postcards — Rigid lift-off-lid box · sample

A fanned stack of proof postcards resting on the box base, with the lid behind — Box base · stacked proof cards

The California, United States, Colorado, and Washington proofs on a cutting mat with a ruler and pencils, one card turned over to show the relief from the back — The four proofs on the bench · one turned over

Far Maps production proofs stacked to show raised fronts, printed backs, and card edges — Front, back, and finished edge

California raised-relief production proof resting above the printed backs of other proof cards — California stack · postcard backs and finished edges

A spread of Far Maps production proofs showing raised fronts with one postcard back visible — Raised fronts with one postcard back

Planned rewards

Start with a dollar. Collect every state.

Supporter: $1A USA map wallpaper for your phone, and your name on our thank-you page.Digital
Digital Collection · 51 maps: $2551 print-ready map files at 300 DPI, a phone wallpaper of each map, and your name on our thank-you page. Digital files only.Digital
51-Card Embossed Collection: $159

51 embossed postcards, all 50 states + the USA

Rigid lift-off-lid box

Bonus USA at Night card, 52 cards in total

Free shipping to the US

Full Digital Collection, files arrive first

Your name on our thank-you page

The core collection

Estimated delivery for physical rewards: April 2027. Add-on: one extra USA card for $8, shipped with your set at no extra cost. Outside the US, shipping is charged by destination.

Back this on Kickstarter

All-or-nothing — you are only charged if the project funds by October 22. Not ready? Get email updates.

Keep · send · display

Keep the places that matter. Send the ones you want to share.

The proofs let us test display, overlapping fronts and the debossed backs, and everyday handling before the full collection is produced.

Far Maps production proofs arranged across a warm wooden tabletop — The first four cards · photographed together

Several Far Maps production proofs overlapping in a compact tabletop arrangement — Postcard fronts and backs · layered together

The open box with a stack of proof postcards showing their printed backs, beside the kraft insert listing the box contents and data credits — Inside the box · postcard backs and the printed insert

California raised-relief postcard production proof displayed beside green leaves — California relief · displayed with greenery

Four Far Maps production proofs pinned vertically to a black display board — Four embossed samples · pinned for display

Washington raised-relief postcard production proof resting on a neat stack of proof cards — Washington relief · stacked for display

Pressing the terrain

Before the terrain rises from paper, it exists in metal.

Each design is translated into an embossing die. The printed card is pressed against that die, giving the terrain a physical surface rather than a printed illusion.

Metal embossing dies beside finished Far Maps postcard production proofs in the workshop — Embossing dies beside the physical samples

Close-up of the Washington metal embossing die showing detailed raised terrain — Washington embossing die · terrain detail

United States embossing die · side profile

Built from open data

From elevation data to a card you can feel.

The card you hold Far Maps render · print · emboss Our design
Boundaries & coastline U.S. Census Bureau (TIGER) Public domain
Rivers & water USGS NHD · Esri Living Atlas CC BY 4.0
Land cover Esri · Impact Observatory CC BY 4.0
Satellite imagery Copernicus Sentinel-2 · NASA MODIS (USA card) Open data
Elevation USGS 3DEP Public domain

The card you holdFar Maps render · print · emboss Our design
Boundaries & coastlineU.S. Census Bureau (TIGER) Public domain
Rivers & waterUSGS NHD · Esri Living Atlas CC BY 4.0
Land coverEsri · Impact Observatory CC BY 4.0
Satellite imageryCopernicus Sentinel-2 · NASA MODIS (USA card) Open data
ElevationUSGS 3DEP Public domain

Questions

What's confirmed. What's still being tested.

Are these real raised cards?: Yes. Everything photographed on this page is a physical production proof, made in July 2026. The shaded-relief image is printed first, then a metal die presses the terrain into the paper. The relief you feel is the card itself, not a printed illusion.
Is the relief an exact scale model?: No. The landforms are derived from real elevation data, but the vertical relief is adjusted so terrain differences remain visible and touchable at postcard size. We will not describe the cards as "true to scale."
Which cards exist so far?: Four: California, Colorado, Washington, and the United States card. They are printed, embossed and trimmed — real cards, not renderings — made to check terrain detail, ink, paper, embossing pressure, and feel. The other 47 states do not exist as finished cards yet.
Why Kickstarter?: Every design needs its own metal embossing die, cut before a single card can be printed. Forty-seven dies remain, and they are the largest single cost in this project. The campaign funds those dies, the remaining state designs, and the printing and embossing run.
Can they be mailed as postcards?: They are designed as 4 × 6 in postcards with a stamp area and writing space. Mailing tests are still underway; final paper, embossing depth, postage, and handling details will be confirmed before production.
Is the campaign live now?: Yes. The campaign is live on Kickstarter and closes October 22, 2026 at 10:00 AM ET (7:00 AM PT). It is all-or-nothing: your card is only charged if the project reaches its funding goal by then. Back it on Kickstarter, or get email updates.
I joined the list. Where's the welcome email?: A welcome email from hello@farmaps.earth goes out within a few minutes of signing up. We're a new sender, so it often lands in Spam or Gmail's Promotions tab — look there, mark it Not spam, and add us to your contacts so our updates get through. Still nothing? Write to us. You can also back the project on Kickstarter, where updates reach you independently of email.

The campaign is live

Back it on before October 22.

All-or-nothing: your card is only charged if the project reaches its goal.

Back this project

Not ready yet? Get production updates by email.

Feel the country.