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Hint for how to print topo maps better.

Tcornall
21 days ago

I recently went thru a process of getting some  topographical maps printed for a hike where I definitely needed paper maps. This note is to show how bloody fiddly this can be but also to help anyone else trying to do same. 

I got the OSM Tasmania Australia topographical maps in the Garmin format  and put it on a flash drive in a folder called Garmin.

This allowed Basecamp to see it when the flash drive was plugged in

I drew the path I would take in Google Earth Pro, using the aerial view to allow me to see the path on the ground (Amazing!) The topo map in Basecamp helped me avoid cliffs and dense bush and creekbeds.

Then I exported the path from Google Earth as a KML, imported it into Basecamp, used an Australian DEM map I got from somewhere to allow me to drop the path at ground level.

Then I put it back on the Tasmania Top map, zoomed into the map until the scale showed 500m then hit the file->print menu and selected to print to a PDF file. I'm doing this because Basecamp does a bad job of printing the coordinate grid lines. They are all but invisible. Then I moved the map around in the print window to get the area I wanted, made sure of paper size and  orientation, hit the 'actual size' selection, then hit print. This resulted in a PDF file, which I opened in GIMP so I could redraw the grid lines, then I saved the changes. Opened the PDF in acrobat and finally printed it to my HP inkjet color printer. BTW, one other reason I can't print straight to the inkjet from Basecamp is that it loses the black text on labels. Well known unfixed bug from back when Garmin abandoned Basecamp.

You might wonder why I go to all that bother? One reason is to get my path drawn on the map. Another is that Basecamp actually does a good job of the printing, showing watercourses very well which in turn gives a good idea of the terrain, reinforcing the contour lines. Also the text is a good size. I tried InkAtlas, but its text is too small and it does a bad job of watercourses, only printing the major ones.  I need about 6 A4 maps to cover the SW Cape circuit (that's just the bits that are off the beaten track) Also I wanted them at a scale like 1:25000 (although the one below is more like 1:12000 which might even be too zoomed in! )

Here's an example of the outcome of this process. I plan to laminate it, of course. Rains a lot in SW Tassie.

  • 0 21 days ago

    Thanks for posting this. I routinely print our kayak tracks, print them on 11 x 17" paper at the local print shop and have them laminated. My process is much different from yours. I create the track and the waypoints, take a screen cap of the basecamp screen, then save that as a .jpg. I bump up the resolution to 300 in Photoshop and make the size 11 x 17.

    I am going to try your method to see if I get better results. I'm happy with what I have, but if I can improve them going forward, I will.

  • 0 20 days ago

    Assuming you're using and inkjet printer, instead of printing on ordinary paper then getting it laminated, have a look at Toughprint paper.  It's waterproof and very durable but can be easily folded unlike a laminated print.  It can be printed on both sides.

    It's available in the UK from www.toughprint.com which is now part of www.activeoutlet.co.uk.  I don't know if it's available in other countries.

    It's not cheap, but after the cost of laminating, it's probably a comparable cost but much more convenient.  I can really recommend it.

  • 0 20 days ago in reply to BiscuitDunker

    Ta, good suggestion. I'll see if I can get some.

  • 0 20 days ago in reply to BiscuitDunker

    I'm in Canada and looked that up on Amazon.ca. There are many options. So far, I have not found any that is tabloid (11x17") size, but I'm sure it is available. thank you for posting.

  • 0 19 days ago in reply to gwilki

    Here in the UK they only do A4 and A3 sizes, so they probably don't do any of the US sizes.  The A3 paper size is 297mm x 420mm (11.67" x 16.5").  They also do laser printer paper as well as inkjet paper.

  • 0 13 days ago

    Have you tried plotting your route and printing it using the free web app nakarte.me https://nakarte.me/#m=7/-42.12675/146.06323&l=Otm? You can plot your route over various mapping options and four different satellite imaging layers, and you can turn on Strava heat map to look for walked GPS corridors in areas with a tree canopy. When you are happy with it, you can save your plotted track as a GPX with elevation data (or as a KML). Nakarte will print up to A1 size and you can have a km or magnetic meridian grid too. You can also tweak the scale factor. It will not snap to OSM paths, track and roads, but it does everything else very well. Should be worth a try!

  • 0 13 days ago in reply to Eyelet99

    Thanks, hadn't heard of Nakarte. Def worth a go!

  • 0 13 days ago in reply to Tcornall

    Had a look and apart from some of the terrain maps (Google) showing lakes where there aren't any and shorelines too far inland, it looks useful.

  • 0 13 days ago in reply to Tcornall

    The free Plot-a-Route web app is very good for snapping routes to OSM paths, track and roads. It is a great plotting tool, but lacks nakarte’s portfolio of map and satellite layers. That said, I sometimes create a track using it as it is much faster, then export it to my laptop then into nakarte to adjust if needed.

    Regarding map lamination, I use transparent, self-adhesive book cover film cut from a roll. More fiddly than Toughprint, but lots cheaper and available in different sizes on the roll. It can handle laminating large maps if you buy a metre wide roll. You need two pairs of hands to carefully and evenly laminate large maps. A4 and A3 size are easy singlehanded.