Terrain Mat Material Samples
Here are views and trade-offs of the Terrain Mat material options. Prices shown are in British Pounds as of mid-December 2024 and are subject to change. We have shipped to the USA (with fast & inexpensive delivery from London) and Ireland. However, the new EU laws may make selling to EU countries difficult or impossible; we will gladly try, so inquire. As far as I can tell, then charge EU country's VAT percentage rate instead, so the prices may not be precisely as the current exchange rate would indicate.
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UK pound prices include VAT; our vendor should discount those for the USA when converted to dollars. IMPORTANT: Mat A below has a larger grid square of 3" (76.2mm) because the full roll size allows about 1/3" larger square height than the 68mm on B & C. Notice how the length is now 11 feet!
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OIL CLOTH MATTE - The Irish customer likes his Oilcloth and sent photos (see below). The material is a coated cloth designed for waterproof clothing with a slightly nubby surface. Fine details that are not important to Eisenhower are legible but not perfect. Lays flat one can wipe off the surface quickly. The underside is cloth and could become dirty or stained. Mats B & C overlap because of desired beach details. Mat A (the whole Normandy Campaign area) is more expensive because you are printing from a double-sized roll, and you thus get the entire sea area with ship locations, but this may be a small benefit and make the mat too wide for the Allied players to reach across.
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NEOPRENE* - A thicker material (like a thin mousepad), and we have yet to see a printed Ike mat. As you can tell from the sample above, the fine detail may be somewhat clearer. Because of the size of the material, the A & B mats must be printed in two pieces, and the grid height is limited to 70mm (so if you order Mats B &C, you will have three pieces). Unlike with Oilcloth, Mats B & C are not overlapping; one butt up to the other. A minor benefit is that there should be no show-through compared to oilcloths or other cloths on a dark-colored table.
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FURNISHING LEATHERETTE* - Designed for furniture, there is a slight texture, but the details seem sharper than the previous two. Because of the size of the material, the A & B mats must be printed in two pieces, and the grid height is limited to 70mm (so if you order Mats B &C, you will have three pieces). Unlike with Oilcloth, Mats B & C are not overlapping; one butt up to the other. A minor benefit is that there should be no show-through compared to oilcloths or other cloths on a dark-colored table. We have heard leatherette could dry out over several years and crack, but I wonder if the problem was with rolling them too tightly (like a 2" diameter), whereas 5" diameter rolling might be safer. You can see a slight sheen on the sample, unlike all the other five matte materials. It is not glossy and is likely to be the toughest-wearing material of all six.
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WARM LEATHERETTE*- This material is very similar to the "Furnishing Leatherette" shown above. The main differences are that it's slightly less expensive, and the texture is coarser. Both are either all synthetic or with a bit of cotton included—not leather!
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POLAR FLEECE* - would likely conform to styrofoam hill contours, but fine details would be illegible on its somewhat fuzzy surface. On the other hand, Eisenhower's main terrain types should be acceptable. We have not seen a printed sample yet to determine anything more.
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SLINKY MATTE LYCRA* - Slinky is nearly opaque and quite stretchy, so it might conform somewhat to a few styrofoam terrain contours for a "3D" look.
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ELLA WATERPROOF* - Ella should have the sharpest detail, with nearly no stretch. It is water-resistant, lightweight, and sturdy (it is for umbrellas). It is a lightweight, poly-based, tightly woven material, solid but not completely opaque—probably best on a light-colored table or with a roll of white paper underneath). Being only 70 GSM (70 grams per square meter), one may need to tape the corners down.
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*We have yet to see samples of this material with mat details displayed, only the tiny samples pictured above.
Oilcloth mats B & C lay relatively flat even when first rolled out. Each is 27" high and 118.5" B (nearly 10 feet long; each two-square is 68mm high).
Oilcloth detail; each two-mile grid square is 68mm
What if you want something different
Perhaps you don't like the combination of how I have uploaded mats. For example:
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You want the mat to be a different size overall
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You want a different grid (hex vs. square), grid size, or no grid
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You want a portion of the content or shape
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You want a different material
Then contact me for a free quote on what it will take to make a mat in your parameters. Mats are nonrefundable, so be sure you are happy with the new plan - Bill Owen.
Example
Below is a list of material options with roll width details and how a big 4" square grid would fit (overall) on a 6x14.7' table! To be practical, one should have a more L-shaped table where the beachhead table is 3-4' wide and only the Cotentin Peninsula is 6' wide. This is rather involved, so I recommend you contact me. I've gained much experience figuring this out!
