Blog Post
A Clearer View of Veneer: CFP Select™
9/15/2026
_20260915094419.png?w=2000&auto=format%2Ccompress&quality=85)
A Clearer View of Veneer with CFP Select™
One of the most exciting things about working with real wood veneers is the way the natural characteristics make every sheet unique. Every sheet in every project tells its own story. Grain movement, color variation and natural characteristics give real wood its distinct beauty but can make communicating exactly what designers want for ultra specific projects difficult.
CFP Select brings Columbia Forest Products' veneer expertise directly to customers through live, interactive online veneer selection sessions. Participants can view full-size veneer faces in real time and discuss what they see with Columbia's experienced grading team while comparing options across species, cut, grade, and natural characteristics.
See Before You Specify
During a CFP Select session, face veneers are positioned beneath a dedicated camera at Columbia's Chatham facility. Participants get a full, unobstructed view of the face while the grading expert points to specific areas and answers any questions on its characteristics. This collaborative format is built to help customers communicate exactly which visual elements they want to include or avoid in their finished design.
Dedicated to Improving Over Time
Since the program's initial introduction, Columbia has upgraded the CFP Select lighting system to improve how veneer color and tone appear through the camera. The grading expert will gather information before the session to prepare the right veneers and adjust the coolness or warmness of the lighting based on the species. This ensures the truest to life tone is achieved.
This upgrade and future ones are part of Columbia's continuing efforts to make CFP Select a useful and collaborative resource for designers, specifiers, and distributors working through veneer decisions.
Collaboration Without the Travel
CFP Select provides a convenient way to connect with Columbia's veneer expertise from a computer. Multiple participants can join the same online session, making it possible for project stakeholders to review their selections and ask questions together, even when they are in different locations.
The goal is simple: provide clarity in the veneer selection process and help customers approach important aesthetic decisions with greater confidence. All without the logistical and cost difficulties of a physical trip to a production location.
To learn more or request a CFP Select session, contact your Columbia Forest Products sales representative or email connect@cfpwood.com.
"CFP Select brings our veneer expertise directly to the customer, creating a clearer and more collaborative way for us to discuss the natural characteristics that shape a project's final appearance." - Fred Mitchell, Value Stream Manager Materials.