Large Scale Map Printing

[OldGuy]

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?

[Steel General]

Check w/Gamerprinter to see what he charges.

[Gamerprinter]

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

[OldGuy]

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.

[tilt]

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

[Gamerprinter]

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

[tilt]

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

[Midgardsormr]

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.

[Gamerprinter]

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

[tilt]

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