What makes a good pre-printed Battlemat?

[InkwellIdeas]

I'm wondering (because I'm going to make some for a project) what goes into a good, pre-printed battlemat. I have my thoughts, but I'd like to get other opinions to validate or change/steer mine. Some of the issues:

Paper stock: plain paper vs. cardstock (like that of a paperback cover) vs thicker cardstock.
Lamination: the only reason I mention plain paper above is if using that and laminating it is a good idea. Or maybe laminate the cardstock?
Print quality: 300dpi is probably low-end now, right? Is 600 enough?
Embellishments: would you prefer the map rather barren with just the basics, or would you want the table in the room to have things on it, maybe a skeleton or two in a couple of cells (if the mat is a cell-block, for example) Etc.

What other factors should I consider?

 

[S'mon]

Well, my favourite non-blank Paizo flipmats emphasise reuseability; they are detailed yet sufficiently generic that I can use them over and over again. This means no "unusual" details - no skeletons in the jail block cells, no wizard's alembic on the table. Nothing that would detract from repeated re-use.

The ones I use most of all are the generic wilderness scenes -road through a forest, trail across rough land, that kind of thing.

 

[Kerranin]

The ability to re-use and/or adapt a map is key to making a useful map, high resolution is nice but isn't key.

The basic features of Paizo flipmat maps, which make them some of the best around:
- The ability to fold them flat into an A4/US Letter sized space, this makes them easy to pack and carry.
- The ability to use either dry-erase or wet erase markers on the map and not stain them permanently. (which is a deficiency with some maps)
- That the map is sufficiently large to be useful when laid flat.
- For a 3e/4e setting a pre-drawn 1 inch grid for ease of use.
- Finally, and not true of all their flipmat maps, is that the map content be sufficiently generic that it can be reused in a number of scenarios.

 

[Stormonu]

I'm with S'mon, the best are generic enough to be reused. If you want something unusual, its best done as a small tile you can plop onto the main map.

Also, I would suggest 300 dpi for the bare minimum, that is what my printer uses, and it seems fine. Above 300 dpi only works with high quality papers; the cardstock I've used don't seem to hold higher detail well enough to notice a difference.

I strongly suggest lamination, not only does it protect, but it tends to bring a sheen to the battlemap that makes it look nicer.

 

[Mark CMG]

I blew up the maps (to one inch equals five feet scale) of the Dwarven Monestary and logging camp from the Paizo kobold adventure series, printed them on regular paper, glued them on foamcore, then laminated over them both to protect them and allow me to draw with wet erase markers as needs be. They are useful, reusable locations.

 

[Jeff Wilder]

I blew up the maps (to one inch equals five feet scale) of the Dwarven Monestary and logging camp from the Paizo kobold adventure series, printed them on regular paper, glued them on foamcore, then laminated over them both to protect them and allow me to draw with wet erase markers as needs be. They are useful, reusable locations.

I played on those!

 

[gamerprinter]

Well, we are competition in that I offer generic flip map tile sets, but to answer your questions:

1 & 2: I am using 90# cover stock, which is nothing heavier than heavy paper, it is not cardstock by any stretch of the imagination, but then I am laminating all my maps with heavy mil laminant - so cardstock offers no advantage since they will be laminated anyway.

3. As a long time digital printer/graphic designer, I see no particular advantage using greater than 300 dpi, in fact since map tiles are essentially photos of terrain you gain no particular advantage at printing at 600 ppi. If you were printing very high quality photos or something with very small text, then 600 dpi would have value. Since it is only terrain 300 dpi actually prints great. (My printer is capable of 2800 x 2800 dpi, and there is no way I'd ever print any map at that resolution, as it is not an advantage.)

4. For embellishments, my detail is in the architecture or the type and detail of plants, rocks, terrain detail. However shooting to be as generic as possible is the best goal. Too much detail means your map is no longer generic, rather it becomes a specific map - which is not a goal with map tiles. Placing skeletons and scorpions are possible encounters and should not be used for 'dungeon detail.'

Note: for my product, I am not only the cartographer, but I am also my own digital POD printer, so I know what I am talking about.

YMMV.

GP

 

[InkwellIdeas]

Thanks all! (Although if anyone is arriving late, by all means post your thoughts.)

Gamerprinter: I'd be dumb to ignore your expertise. Thank you! What do you classify as heavy mil? 7mil? 10? I think in my case generic-ness is particularly important. While this type of product isn't my focus (it is more of an add-on to something else) I do want to provide the best product I can.

 

[the Jester]

Well, my group played on one of the preprinted WotC battlemats from P1 two weeks ago, and everyone complained that the squares weren't made visible enough.

I've also found that many preprinted WotC battlemats are murky and dark to the point that it is easy to miss important features. You know what, let me add the murky dark atmosphere. Give me a map that is easy to use.

And yeah, super-generic helps for battlemats if you want people to reuse them (tile fashion) rather than just use them in a single adventure.

 

[gamerprinter]

Thanks all! (Although if anyone is arriving late, by all means post your thoughts.)

Gamerprinter: I'd be dumb to ignore your expertise. Thank you! What do you classify as heavy mil? 7mil? 10? I think in my case generic-ness is particularly important. While this type of product isn't my focus (it is more of an add-on to something else) I do want to provide the best product I can.

I'm using 5 mil, but then 5 mil to both sides is 10 mil in total. 5 - 10 mil is fine, heavier is too heavy.

GP