A board for Maine in 24 hours

One Monday in February 2025, an email arrived with the subject line "could you do a rush order for 2 boards with this map?" The client, in the US, opened with: "No idea if this is possible, but figure it doesn't hurt to ask..."

The ask

A group of friends was being hosted by two couples at their homes on the Maine coast, around Biddeford Pool and Camp Ellis. The client wanted a gift from the whole group: two cutting boards, each with a map of that stretch of coast and a heart between the two homes.

The catch was timing. The boards needed to reach the client in Denver by midday on the Wednesday of the following week, or Sun Valley, Idaho, by that Friday. We're in Nelson, BC.

We wrote back the same day: yes, and we can turn them around within 24 hours of the map being approved.

Turning the coast

The client had done some homework. They sent a screenshot of the area, then the same map rotated, so the circled area and the big beach ran more horizontally. "Not a deal breaker," they wrote, "but just nicer." They also sent a labelled map of local landmarks.

We worked on it that evening and sent the first proof the next afternoon, at 12 by 16 inches and rotated to match their sketch. The feedback came back clear and quick:

• zoom in a little

• no place labels

• remove the street names

• keep the Route 9 and Route 208 markers

That leaves a cleaner board. The coastline and the dotted water carry the design, and the two route shields help you find your way without crowding it.

Outline or filled?

The client asked a good question: should the heart be filled in, or just an outline?

On a screen, a filled heart looks great. On a cutting board, a filled heart leaves a bigger indent in the board, and that's the kind of spot where bits of food are more likely to get stuck. We sent both versions and explained the tradeoff, and left the choice to them.

They chose the outline. With that settled, they told us they didn't need another proof, and left one last small road detail to our judgement. We sent the final file that evening, and the reply was two words: "Perfect!! Thank you!"

Racing the post

Both boards went out with FedEx to Denver. A couple of weeks later we checked in, because FedEx's paperwork showed a Friday delivery rather than a Wednesday one, and we wanted to make sure they'd arrived in time.

They had. "They arrived exactly just in time and everyone absolutely LOVED them!!" the client wrote. "They turned out even better than I had hoped and made the perfect gift."

What made it work

Rush orders are possible when the decisions are quick, and here they were. The client knew what mattered (the beach, the heart, the two route numbers) and what didn't (every street name). We could spend our time on making it work on wood, like that heart, instead of going back and forth.

If you've got a place and a deadline, get in touch and we'll tell you honestly what we can do. Or start a design and see your map take shape.