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Thread: Large Scale Map Printing

  1. #1
    Guild Journeyer OldGuy's Avatar
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    Default Large Scale Map Printing

    I created a small map for my campaign and decided it was time to make a larger one (3' x 3' or thereabouts) and have it printed. Before I started I thought it would be a good idea to look into printing to find out what it would cost and what limitations (if any) the printers may have. Being in a small town with few options, I stopped by kinkos. Their best price was $7.25 per square foot plus $3.00 per square foot if I wanted to have it laminated. For 3' x 3' that comes to $65.25 ($92.25 laminated). He couldn't tell me what weight paper it was other than it was "heavier weight" but not card stock.

    Never having done this before I had in my head that it would be around $20 for 3' x 3' glossy card stock. Apparently, I wasn't even close. But $65 for plain paper seems a bit high. What do you folks think?

  2. #2
    Community Leader Facebook Connected Steel General's Avatar
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    Check w/Gamerprinter to see what he charges.
    My Finished Maps | My Challenge Maps | Still poking around occasionally...

    Unless otherwise stated by me in the post, all work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.



  3. #3

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    Hey Oldguy!

    Except you have to add $10 for shipping (rolled in a tube), I charge $2.99 a square foot printed onto satin gloss 190 gram photo paper, so a 3' x 3' map would cost $26.97. Lamination is $6.75 more for 3' x 3' using 5 mil lamination. I have shipped throughout US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Europe and Asia/Australia. Though overseas shipping is USPS is $16+ and takes at least 15 days, doing it faster costs way too much ($100). Also map prints are pretty light weight, so cost of shipping is more size of tube not weight. A single tube can hold many unlaminated maps or three laminated ones for same shipping cost.

    GP
    Gamer Printshop Publishing, Starfinder RPG modules and supplements, Map Products, Map Symbol Sets and Map Making Tutorial Guide
    DrivethruRPG store

    Artstation Gallery - Maps and 3D illustrations

  4. #4
    Guild Journeyer OldGuy's Avatar
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    Wow, that's pretty amazing!

    I actually wanted two copies anyway so that makes shipping (per copy) even cheaper. Plus I get to go through a CG member which makes it even better.

    I will definitely go through you when I get the map ready to print.

  5. #5
    Community Leader Facebook Connected tilt's Avatar
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    Gamerprinter is the man!
    by the way GP, what resolution does the printer print in? - I usually work in 300 dpi A4 or A3 so it would be nice to know how big a map that would make in your photoprinter - you don't have to calculate for me, the dpi number is enough
    regs tilt
    :: My DnD page Encounter Depot free stuff for your game :: My work page Catapult ::
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  6. #6

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    That printer is set at a minimum of 600 dpi, but printers lesser dpi fine, though I can set it for high resolution mode and print 2880 x 2880 dpi. It prints in 12 colors CMYKRGB, Photo Magenta, Photo Cyan, Gray and Photo Gray - using whatever colors the file requires. Its a Canon printer IPF 8100. Though I don't carry the whole inventor of papers, I can get pretty heavy glossy stock, and up to 42 inch wide prints, but I generally carry only 36 inch wide materlal. I carry canvas and fine art paper as well.

    GP
    Gamer Printshop Publishing, Starfinder RPG modules and supplements, Map Products, Map Symbol Sets and Map Making Tutorial Guide
    DrivethruRPG store

    Artstation Gallery - Maps and 3D illustrations

  7. #7
    Community Leader Facebook Connected tilt's Avatar
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    I remember when the printers/plotters worked with 72 dpi, so you could make a poster from a simple A4 quality... If I should make a poster in 300 dpi, its gonna be a heavy file when I work in PS
    regs tilt
    :: My DnD page Encounter Depot free stuff for your game :: My work page Catapult ::
    :: Finished Maps :: Competion maps - The Island of Dr. Rorshach ::
    :: FREE Tiles - Compasses :: Other Taking a commision - Copyright & Creative Commons ::
    Works under CC licence unless mentioned otherwise

  8. #8

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    Remember to figure in expected viewing distance. If the viewer is at greater than arm's length, you can get away with less than 300 dpi. I had GP do a poster print for me at somewhere around 150 dpi, and the print turned out great.
    Bryan Ray, visual effects artist
    http://www.bryanray.name

  9. #9

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    I've printed 72 dpi photos on my printer and compared to a 300 dpi print, it was noticeably degraded, however, without comparing to the 300 dpi print, it still looked great. Better resolution makes for better results, but the printer still does a great job at any resolution.

    GP
    Gamer Printshop Publishing, Starfinder RPG modules and supplements, Map Products, Map Symbol Sets and Map Making Tutorial Guide
    DrivethruRPG store

    Artstation Gallery - Maps and 3D illustrations

  10. #10
    Community Leader Facebook Connected tilt's Avatar
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    now I allready regretted some time ago that I didn't make the Mountain Realms map bigger, but it was my first digital map so I didn't have much to go on - and the size seemed big *lol*... I've had it printed in A3 and that looks good - but it would have been cool to have a postersize... but I'm also thinking battle maps - they are big but need to be printed for up-close viewing to... so lots of dpi in those
    regs tilt
    :: My DnD page Encounter Depot free stuff for your game :: My work page Catapult ::
    :: Finished Maps :: Competion maps - The Island of Dr. Rorshach ::
    :: FREE Tiles - Compasses :: Other Taking a commision - Copyright & Creative Commons ::
    Works under CC licence unless mentioned otherwise

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