At GenCon I saw some people with large 20x30 or 30x30 sized maps printed out and laminated, I think they had it done at kinkos or office depot etc, not really sure if that was the case, I'm trying to find out if anyone has any tips or suggestions to get something like this done and if they know the price range that it usually costs. I am trying to get some maps setup and ready for mods I have run a lot and will probably run often again without needing to have paper that's prone to damage or getting smashed up or having to carrying tiles. If I can slowly work my way through the mods I run at cons or various places getting 2-3 maps printed per mod that will last me forever (or as long as the mod is in service) Having to redo maps every 2-3 times I run a mod makes me much more willing to spend some cash and get them done nicely.
Anyway, is there anyone who can point me in the right direction for the best prices etc, google seems to find me places to print like giant posters at 50 bucks a piece on photo paper etc, I'm really looking for something not quite that pricey.
Okay, a few provisos: I am cheap, so I use greyscale for my print jobs. Much cheaper than color.
Step 1: Open the module, page to the map you want to print.
Note that, in some mods, it is not possible, either because of protection or too much added layering to the map, to get a usable image.
Step 2: Click on the map, and use the copy function.
In some modules, it won't work, in some, you will get a "clean" copy out of the box.
Step 3: Open MS Paint (or other graphics program) and paste in the clipboard.
At this point, you should have a copy, as is, of the encounter map.
Step 4: (Optional) Change color to greyscale
Step 5: Save the map with an appropriate name as PNG or JPG, and close Paint.
Step 6: Open the image in Publisher or on a Mac with GraphicConverter.
I don't have Publisher yet, but GC is a great program.
Step 7: Using tools in the program, clean up the monster placement marks and the "PCs start here" box.
I usually just copy and paste similar areas over the stuff to get a more-or-less similar effect.
Step 8: (and the reason I use GC) Use the measuring tool and the Scaling command in the program to rescale the image to an (approximate) 1"x1" per square size.
Don't worry if you don't get it exact, it should be close enough for use.
Step 9: At this point, I usually crop the image as close to the minimum size as I can, in order to save money atthe printing step.
Step 10: Save the image again, making sure that you are using PNG or JPG, unless you can somehow do PDFs on your own.
Step 11: Take the image(s) to your local copy shop that can handle larger than 11x17 printouts.
I use a local Kinkos (Fedex Office, I think now) that can print documents under a certain size wityhout having to do banner printing, which is expen$ive. The size I can get is usually 75 cents US per square foot, which runs to about $20 USD for a full module's maps, depending on module. MINI1-2 was cheap, so few maps, while the SW:DoD modules run more, with so many maps, and such large maps.
Step 12: Trim the white space from the edges of the print-outs using the large zise paper cutter that the store probably has.
I am too cheap to laminate the maps, so I am not sure how much that would cost.
Sometimes, as I run for an ecclectic group, I can get some maps cheaper. Folk with access to plotters, for instance; or discounts at Kinkos.
thanks for the info on kinkos pricing, I'm actually reconstructing the maps myself out of self scanned tiles and using Gimp to combine the parts, working on a map right now and it's in progress but it looks basically like this.
I've been creating quite a few mod maps by photoshopping scanned Dungeon Tiles together. They come out pretty well. (Well, the one set I have the most trouble with is Lost Caverns of the Underdark, but whatever.) I use them for running LFR online.
I have a copy of Adobe Illustrator which can print out the maps in 8 1/2" x 11" sections, centered across the pages. I take the sections and tape overhead projector transparencies to each page. Viola! I have easily transportable maps that I can even draw on -- put down area effects, movable terrain, etc. I just stick all of the ones for a particular mod in a folder and take them wherever!
I ran eight slots of CORE1-13 at Gencon using maps like these. More recently, I ran the first half of SPEC1-1 locally the same way. (The second half got canceled because the players didn't realize it was a two-round mod and had to leave early. Oh well.)
Also...I've heard that WotC will be making maps available that don't have the DM hints on them. If someone knows where to find these, that would be fantastic. I still see a need for photoshopped maps, though, especially when dealing with movable terrain. (You don't necessarily want to include the movable terrain on your map.)
My archive can be accessed like this:
www.mysteriousorigins.org/(mod name)/(mod name)-Map-1.jpg
With maps numbered sequentially. For example, for AGLA1-4, you'd use:
www.mysteriousorigins.org/AGLA1-4/AGLA1-...
I've got all of the maps for 1-1 mods (third quarter 2008), 1-2 mods (fourth quarter 2008), and a number of 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, and 1-6 mods (for 2009). I'm constantly making new ones, so if you don't see a set that you need, let me know and I'll likely make them for you. :-)
Damon
I've been creating quite a few mod maps by photoshopping scanned Dungeon Tiles together. They come out pretty well. (Well, the one set I have the most trouble with is Lost Caverns of the Underdark, but whatever.) I use them for running LFR online.
I have a copy of Adobe Illustrator which can print out the maps in 8 1/2" x 11" sections, centered across the pages. I take the sections and tape overhead projector transparencies to each page. Viola! I have easily transportable maps that I can even draw on -- put down area effects, movable terrain, etc. I just stick all of the ones for a particular mod in a folder and take them wherever!
I ran eight slots of CORE1-13 at Gencon using maps like these. More recently, I ran the first half of SPEC1-1 locally the same way. (The second half got canceled because the players didn't realize it was a two-round mod and had to leave early. Oh well.)
Also...I've heard that WotC will be making maps available that don't have the DM hints on them. If someone knows where to find these, that would be fantastic. I still see a need for photoshopped maps, though, especially when dealing with movable terrain. (You don't necessarily want to include the movable terrain on your map.)
My archive can be accessed like this:
www.mysteriousorigins.org/(mod name)/(mod name)-Map-1.jpg
With maps numbered sequentially. For example, for AGLA1-4, you'd use:
www.mysteriousorigins.org/AGLA1-4/AGLA1-...
I've got all of the maps for 1-1 mods (third quarter 2008), 1-2 mods (fourth quarter 2008), and a number of 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, and 1-6 mods (for 2009). I'm constantly making new ones, so if you don't see a set that you need, let me know and I'll likely make them for you. :-)
Damon
I made some nice laminated maps for CORE1-14. Because I was the author, I splurged. I printed two very large maps for $65 or so, with color and lamination. Part of my decision was that I was pretty sure the maps would be useful in the future.
There are a few options. When it comes strictly to printing, a nice tool is PosteRazor. I have not used it, but I have seen its results (and I think that is the correct link). It basically takes any image and disects it into pieces so you can send it to any color printer. You can set how much overlap you want, then tape or glue them together. My friend that does this likes using glue sticks. You really don't notice the seams... it looks like one poster instead of separate sheets glued together. Really nice.
If you are going to a print shop, printing several color pages will be much cheaper than a poster, and much cheaper than a laminated poster. If you use a lot of mini markers and AoE templates you should not need to draw on the surface and can likely skip on lamination. I would not bother laminating anything that is mod-specific and unlikely to see future use.
If you want to print a poster, you can take any image file and saving it to pdf (assuming you have software that supports this... most nice imaging software supports that) with the pdf being a single page. This tends to ensure the proper image print size, so long as you set that for the image. In talking to the print shop, they can print out a single 8 1/2 x 11 page for free so you can see that the scale is correct. The key in the image is to verify the print size vs an on-screen size. Different programs handle this differently, but generally it is something you see when you choose to resize the image.
This leads to one of the important considerations - image quality. The printed quality will depend largely on the source file and its resolution. A really grainy image looks terrible when blown up. A really nice scan at high resolution will keep its image quality through to the final printed medium.
Many times, what authors do is to use one of two tile programs to create a map, then paste it into the module. The source files for the maps, especially for earlier Dungeon Tiles, tend to be grainy. If you copy the grainy and low resolution image from the pdf and bring it into an image editor, it will be even grainier when you print it. It is bearable, don't get me wrong, but you may want to test before you plunk down cash for a version that isn't super-sharp.
Thus, for high quality, you will need to regenerate the map! This means using an image editor and pdfs of the tile sets or to set up the tiles on a scanner bed and scan that. This takes time, though with practice you get faster at the process. For CORE1-14, I manually recreated the first map from tile pdfs (I own the tiles but this is faster) but was able to go with the tile program output for the Caves of Carnage tiles as those are made from a higher resolution scan.
Lots of options, as you can see. As with anything technical, what you put into it drives the end result. Quick and dirty will still work and B&W is not bad. Color can be of varying price depending on your technique. Given that a battlemap and imagination is plenty for most players, don't run up your credit cards over high quality. There are better demands for your money and time. But, if you have the cash and want to do this, it can be fun.
At the house I'm content to just drag my box of tiles out and slap them down in a close approximation, at a con where I'm running the same mod upwards of 8 times (like ADCP1-1 at gen con) I'd have loved to have a laminated nice copy of the map on hand.
I think the printing the pages myself and assembling will be the option I choose, now to find some place close by that will just laminate my finished product giving me a map that I can just toss in the closet for future runs and/or home games etc.
Here is how the pages of my first try looked printed and assembled together.
Nice map. I am alpha's friend that uses PosteRazor (yes, that is the correct link). Get glue sticks from the craft store, you will eliminate the edge problems that tape has (I was using tape at first too).
Another bit of advice. I usually will leave certain elements off the maps (especially those maps that can be repurposed). For instance, the crowd tiles I would have left off (they move around) and just brought the actual tiles with the poster. I created poster maps for CORE1-15 and the first map was an outdoor map with crates and barrels. I left the creates and barrels off of it because it could double for a pure outdoor map with out them affixed directly on them.
I also add a black boarder around the edge in photoshop by having a bottem layer that I enlarge after I have assembled the final map and then make black. This will cover up a multitude of sins.
All in all, the map looked great.
Enjoy,
Bryan Blumklotz
AKA Saracenus
ibixat,
Nice map. I am alpha's friend that uses PosteRazor (yes, that is the correct link). Get glue sticks from the craft store, you will eliminate the edge problems that tape has (I was using tape at first too).
Another bit of advice. I usually will leave certain elements off the maps (especially those maps that can be repurposed). For instance, the crowd tiles I would have left off (they move around) and just brought the actual tiles with the poster. I created poster maps for CORE1-15 and the first map was an outdoor map with crates and barrels. I left the creates and barrels off of it because it could double for a pure outdoor map with out them affixed directly on them.
I also add a black boarder around the edge in photoshop by having a bottem layer that I enlarge after I have assembled the final map and then make black. This will cover up a multitude of sins.
All in all, the map looked great.
Enjoy,
Bryan Blumklotz
AKA Saracenus
Thanks, the crowds I was going to leave off but ended up leaving them there for the test run, I printed that with the toner saver thing on but it came out nicer than I had expected.
I made a stop at the store (yay 24 hour grocery stores) and picked up some glue sticks, I think I'll try to clean up the edges of some of the tiles on the next map and give posterazer a try, I was worried when I was doing the math by hand to cut it up into parts that I'd screw it up but I managed to get it right, but an automated process will be MUCH better. Now to find out if my local office supply stores will laminate those for under 5 bucks each and I'll be quite happy (being waterproof alone and lasting ages will be a big boon as our weekly games are in a coffe shop)
My archive can be accessed like this:www.mysteriousorigins.org/(mod name)/(mod name)-Map-1.jpg
With maps numbered sequentially. For example, for AGLA1-4, you'd use:
www.mysteriousorigins.org/AGLA1-4/AGLA1-...
I've got all of the maps for 1-1 mods (third quarter 2008), 1-2 mods (fourth quarter 2008), and a number of 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, and 1-6 mods (for 2009). I'm constantly making new ones, so if you don't see a set that you need, let me know and I'll likely make them for you. :-)
Damon
Damon,
Those look pretty good. Is there any chance that'd you be able to zip them all up, and have the zip file available for download for us crazy folks who organize conventions and have a copy of every mod ready at any given time?
Thanks,
Eric Kiefer
PittsburghRPGA@gmail.com
Sure, I can zip up the image files. Methinks the PSDs would be quite a bit more useful, though. Only trouble is, they're freakin' HUGE.
I really should get my own web site up and running, but because I do web development full-time plus some contract work in my spare time -- mainly jobs that are from before I started my full time job that just refuse to go away -- I haven't really had time to put anything up there yet. I might see about tossing up a temporary index of the mods I've made maps for thus far, tho...
Damon
That said, the one application that did a surprisingly good of upsampling low-res images is Microsoft Powerpoint. Professors would create one-slide presentations using web graphics, and they wouldn't look all that bad when printed.
IMHO, I would love if WotC made versions of modules packaged like WEEK1-4. I'm curious how much they would cost, but I would definitely pay $5 - $15 for a staple-bound module with a card-stock cover and a full-color foldout map.
Urgh...I should've known someone would ask this.
Sure, I can zip up the image files. Methinks the PSDs would be quite a bit more useful, though. Only trouble is, they're freakin' HUGE.
I really should get my own web site up and running, but because I do web development full-time plus some contract work in my spare time -- mainly jobs that are from before I started my full time job that just refuse to go away -- I haven't really had time to put anything up there yet. I might see about tossing up a temporary index of the mods I've made maps for thus far, tho...
Damon
even if it were as simple as turning on directory listing, that would help.
and, since my previous post was all "quote" no "substance" i want to say thank you, for taking the time to do the scans. incredibly useful - thanks.
www.mysteriousorigins.org/lfrmods.php
Have fun...
Damon
Damon, what resolution and file sizes do you shoot for? I'm curious what your paremeters are for "quality" and what steps you take to achieve it but keep file sizes down.
Thanks!
Damon
Now I still buy and use the map tiles alot except that the people who write the mods assume that I knew to by two sets of each offering since they tend to use the same tile twice in an encounter. I put them onto a piece of balck foam board and use some silly putting to hold them in place. I usually set my wife to do this because she is a perfectionist and the tiles must match up exactly.
No one in my RPGA group complains.
Tobi