A digital orthophoto is a georeferenced image prepared from aerial imagery, or other remotely-sensed data in which the displacement within the image due to sensor orientation and terrain relief has been removed. Orthophotos combine the characteristics of an image with the geometric qualities of a map. Orthoimages show ground features such as roads, buildings, and streams in their proper positions, without the distortion characteristic of unrectified aerial imagery. Digital orthoimages produced and used within the Forest Service are developed from imagery acquired through various national and regional image acquisition programs. The resulting orthoimages, also known as orthomaps, can be directly applied in remote sensing, GIS and mapping applications. They serve a variety of purposes, from interim maps to references for earth science investigations and analysis. Because of the orthographic property, an orthoimage can be used like a map for measurement of distances, angles, and areas with scale being constant everywhere. Also, they can be used as map layers in GIS or other computer-based manipulation, overlaying, and analysis. An orthoimage differs from a map in a manner of depiction of detail; on a map only selected detail is shown by conventional symbols, whereas on an orthoimage all details appear just as in original aerial or satellite imagery.

A digital orthophoto is a georeferenced image prepared from aerial imagery, or other remotely-sensed data in which the displacement within the image due to sensor orientation and terrain relief has been removed. Orthophotos combine the characteristics of an image with the geometric qualities of a map. Orthoimages show ground features such as roads, buildings, and streams in their proper positions, without the distortion characteristic of unrectified aerial imagery. Digital orthoimages produced and used within the Forest Service are developed from imagery acquired through various national and regional image acquisition programs. The resulting orthoimages, also known as orthomaps, can be directly applied in remote sensing, GIS and mapping applications. They serve a variety of purposes, from interim maps to references for earth science investigations and analysis. Because of the orthographic property, an orthoimage can be used like a map for measurement of distances, angles, and areas with scale being constant everywhere. Also, they can be used as map layers in GIS or other computer-based manipulation, overlaying, and analysis. An orthoimage differs from a map in a manner of depiction of detail; on a map only selected detail is shown by conventional symbols, whereas on an orthoimage all details appear just as in original aerial or satellite imagery.