Printing maps - how to do this affordably & with minimum headache?

No [MENTION=31465]Nebulous[/MENTION], paper is the NOT the best way to go. You instinct to get an LCD is right. Follow it.


THE CASE AGAINST LARGE-SCALE MAPS
My dad is in the process of selling of his business and retiring, which includes downsizing his office. I could have received a large scale printer for free. I've been using it for years to print out battlemaps.

But, beside the space it would take up in my home, the paper and especially the ink, is EXPENSIVE. Far cheaper than having it printed by a print shop, sure, but you are still going to be spending money to make those paper maps.

Then you have to store the damn things. I mean, you could just toss them after the game, but given the cost in ink and paper, and that they look too nice to toss, and you think you may use them again in the future, so you'll likely store them. Then you end up with lots of rolled up maps in tubes (because folding them makes them suck at the table.

There is still effort involved in prepping most digital battlemaps for printing. Some publishers like Kobold press do a great job of giving you PDFs that are pretty much ready to print at scale with little prep.

But for most I'm using software to get them ready. I know their are cheap and free software you can use to do this, but I was printing them in my Dad's office and so I used AutoCAD.

I would rather use my prep time on the story and encounters.

Also, big paper maps take up a LOT of paper space, so you'll often find yourself cutting them up anyway.

If you care about fog or war and not letting the players see the entire map at once, then you have to get clever with tacky paper, cotton balls, or other ways of progressively revealing the map.

Large paper maps are not spill resistant.


WHY DIGITAL MAPS ARE BETTER

The initial cost is higher, but then you never have to worry about ink and paper again. Storage isn't an issue and you'll save a lot of time getting ready for your games.

You do not need to buy a high-end display. There are lots of discussions online on the best displays for gaming purposes, but nearly any modern flat display with no bezels should be good.

You probably can get away with a smaller display than you thought. Remember that you can pan the image and zoom in an out. So you can get a highly portable screen. I've seen DMs lay down a screen and just put a piece of PlexiGlass over it to protect the display.

For mine, I had a case made for it by Collbrewate (https://www.collabrewate.com/tv-case). The screen and sides are protected, it is small legs to keep it off the table. It also has a fan built in to keep it from over heating.

A handle is added to the outside making it easy to move for storage or to take to someone else's home.

The first day that I used it, a player spilled his drink, no issues just wiped the areas it splattered on the case and lifted up to wipe the table under it.

The only only thing that a paper map has over a digital map is you can use a paper map without a power source. Finding a play to power your screen at a FLGS is likely to be your main issue. You would probably want to get a portable power station, which will significantly add to the cost of going this route.

Digital is worthless when you game away from your electronics. It's also totally lame for trying to display a map for use with minis, unless you have a dedicated display table (either using rear projection or a screen under glass).

I've used Office Max, UPS Store, and a local print shop for color laser output on 11x17" ... under $1 per side...

Larger gets into poster sizing... at over $10 per each... with many Office Max stores having up to 24x36 full bleed poster printing on-site.

MNblockhead said:

No [MENTION=31465]Nebulous[/MENTION], paper is the NOT the best way to go. You instinct to get an LCD is right. Follow it.

Click to expand...

Block, I don't have a game room, I drive to someone else's house to play at the dining room table, so paper is my option for now.

Nebulous said:

Block, I don't have a game room, I drive to someone else's house to play at the dining room table, so paper is my option for now.

Click to expand...

Much easier to grab a flat screen, especially if in a case with a handle, and put that on your friend's table than to have to pack a bunch of paper maps and associated physical minis and map dressing.

The only time my set up would be a problem would be at public play areas at conventions or FLGSs that don't provide easy access to an outlet.

aramis erak said:

Digital is worthless when you game away from your electronics.

Click to expand...

Electronics are useless, when you don't have your electronics....Well, I guess I have to concede that.

I use a lot of physical stuff...when I run games from home. My physical stuff if worthless when I game away from my physical stuff. I tend to game away from my physical stuff when I run games from from a friends home or a game store, because dragging a small library of books, plus paper battlemaps, and minis, and terrain pieces, and having to prep covers to hide unexplored areas, is more effort than it is worth it for m.

I am much more likely to have my electronics with me than physical items. I only have to remember my laptop and display. I don't need a checklist when packing for a game away from home.

If I'm going to play somewhere where I may not have good access to outlets, well, I leave my big display home. But I also leave the bulky, expensive, large-format-printed battlemaps at home. I just go back to basics and use the D&D Battle Grid with wet erase markers in a variety of colors.

It's also totally lame for trying to display a map for use with minis, unless you have a dedicated display table (either using rear projection or a screen under glass).

Click to expand...

Screen under glass is what I'm talking about. You don't need it built into the table. Actually, this was something I was worried about, that the extra height would make it harder to use/see. But the raised screen in the case has some advantages. For one, you don't have player materials spilling over the screen. Second, it provides more protection against spills. But mostly, I like that any flat surface can become a gaming surface. I can put it on a coffee table, a dining table, a gaming table at my FLGS, on the rug, etc.

I've used Office Max, UPS Store, and a local print shop for color laser output on 11x17" ... under $1 per side...

Click to expand...

11x17 isn't really what I mean by large format. That is still pretty limiting and you'd still need to puzzle a number of these together for larger areas, much less entire levels of a dungeon.

Larger gets into poster sizing... at over $10 per each... with many Office Max stores having up to 24x36 full bleed poster printing on-site.

Click to expand...

I recycled all my old printed battlemaps, but when I printed out all of the Curse of Strahd maps, which I bought from Mike Schley's site, a number of them were larger than the 48" x 36" SUBF-X Gaming Maps by Ceri Design that I would often lay them on top of. The fact that many of the maps are not that big also make all those different sized paper maps a pain to store and organize.

I'm running Rappan Athuk now. With over 100 maps, I'm sure I would have paid more to print them. If I had printed them, I would have spent a lot of money on areas the players may never see. Another problem with spending money on large physical battlemaps is you are going to make sure that the players use them.

I just don't see the case for large printed maps, either from a convenience or cost standpoint. I'm happy to be free of them.

If you usually use a Chessex mat or a dry-erase battle grid and you just a wan't the rare map for a set piece battle, then perhaps the $10 is worth it to print it. Otherwise, stick with the Chessex or get a digital display.

[MENTION=6796661]MNblockhead[/MENTION]
A growing sector of gamers are playing in public spaces without access to power, big screens, projectors, etc. Tablets suck for map display.

Printing things out is likely to remain important for many. blank grids (square or hex) only go so far; to go past, the best, least expensive method is usually to buy the commercial ones. And commercial maps were available for most of the hardcover Wizards 5E adventures... Buying them would be about the same cost as having them locally printed, and more likely to have good color.

Nice that you broke free, but it's not practical for many. And undesirable for more.

Oh, and a great way to carry maps? 4" or larger thin-wall PVC pipes - used for low-pressure applications, like AC ducting. End caps are readily available, even screw cap fittings. Adding a strap is trivial - buy some nylon strapping, glue it on.

I've used a 4" water pipe. For unlaminated maps, it's great (if a bit heavy). For laminated, I want 6" PVC duct pipe...

I got a big poster sized map of Faerun done on a heavy outdoor vinyl sign sheeting for under $20 Canadian. Turned out pretty decent quality, a little fuzzy in spots but its near indestructible and I can use dry erase markers on it with impunity.

For the price I could have gone up to 60x60, it just requires a super high resolution image to start. I recommend at least 1200 DPI or higher.

I used Banner Buzz, which is in Canada but I've seen other companies in other countries that offer similar pricing.

aramis erak said:

[MENTION=6796661]MNblockhead[/MENTION]
A growing sector of gamers are playing in public spaces without access to power, big screens, projectors, etc. Tablets suck for map display.

Printing things out is likely to remain important for many. blank grids (square or hex) only go so far; to go past, the best, least expensive method is usually to buy the commercial ones. And commercial maps were available for most of the hardcover Wizards 5E adventures... Buying them would be about the same cost as having them locally printed, and more likely to have good color.

Nice that you broke free, but it's not practical for many. And undesirable for more.

Oh, and a great way to carry maps? 4" or larger thin-wall PVC pipes - used for low-pressure applications, like AC ducting. End caps are readily available, even screw cap fittings. Adding a strap is trivial - buy some nylon strapping, glue it on.

I've used a 4" water pipe. For unlaminated maps, it's great (if a bit heavy). For laminated, I want 6" PVC duct pipe...

Click to expand...

Using PVC pipes with caps is brilliant! I had a bunch of those cardboard tubes, but the plastic ends would get loose.

Sorry, didn't mean to thread hijack. Personally, I would rather use a chessex matt or battle-grid than have to manage paper maps (or worse, dungeon tiles) again.

I do still like to use physical maps for world and region maps, printed on cloth is best. I also will still give out paper maps as handouts. But battlemap scale just requires a lots space.

On another thread, [MENTION=6801558]robus[/MENTION] recommended Vivyx Printing.

They'll print up to 40" x 60"

MNblockhead said:

Using PVC pipes with caps is brilliant! I had a bunch of those cardboard tubes, but the plastic ends would get loose.

Click to expand...

You want one to be glued on; the other either a screw-cap (the female portion glues on) or an unglued cap.

If using a screw-cap, you also get high water resistance.

I just print the important bits of maps at 1" scale on A4 paper using my inkjet printer & glossy cardstock, which gives much better results than regular paper. For larger maps I tape a few together. I find the main thing is to print out the likely encounter areas, the rest can be lightly sketched on a reusable battlemat.