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Post by Jerry E on Oct 30, 2016 9:26:10 GMT -8
There are better and better options for getting standard and custom topos through online services. Along with viewing these on my phone, I also want to have paper copies with me, but my efforts to print them out leave a lot to be desired. Prints at home are mostly limited to 8.5"x11" and are highly susceptible to moisture. I also haven't yet found a great option to have them commercially printed.
Anybody having good suggestions for custom printing, either at home or local commercial options? Any suggestions for making them water resistance, besides a ziplock bag?
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bp2go
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Post by bp2go on Oct 31, 2016 11:49:41 GMT -8
You view topos on your phone? Yes, you should have paper maps. As for home printing, there are waterproof papers for inkjets (sounds like a contradiction!) and you can pick from this Google list.I also suggest you call a Kinko's or other copy shop. You should be able to find a source for whatever size you want. At least I'm pretty sure. Used to be, don't know what's going on these days. Good luck.
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Post by Jerry E on Oct 31, 2016 16:22:36 GMT -8
Cool, I didn't know there were some of these papers that say they work with inkjets. I will certainly give that a try. I have tried to find a copy shop to do this, but results haven't been great. Maybe I haven't been asking for the right thing, so will try again.
Yes, just in the last year I have given in and started using maps/gps on the phone. Doesn't take the place of paper, but pretty handy nonetheless.
Thanks! -Jerry
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daveb
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Post by daveb on Nov 1, 2016 6:25:53 GMT -8
I ended up downloading my maps from caltopo.com because of the shade relief and easy view. They download in pdf form and I simple printed out 8.5x11 sections at 1:24000 and laminated each sheet that i needed. The laminate was from staples. A bit heavy but they are protected. I think next time I'll just print and and stuff in a gallon ziplock.
By the way, my printer can print both sides of the paper so it saves a little on extra prints.
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Post by Jerry E on Nov 1, 2016 17:02:52 GMT -8
1 gal zip locks are what I have used in the past, and they work fine, particularly for letter size. A little bulky for a copy to keep in my front pocket, though, which is where sweat normally ruins paper maps.
I want to experiment with some clear sealant options, just to see if there is a lightweight way to add a bit of resistance to normal paper. I'll give that special paper a try as well, and see which is better.
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Post by Jerry E on Nov 6, 2016 5:21:09 GMT -8
For what it's worth, I tried a number of options this week, and carried them out on a sweaty hike yesterday. I did experiment with a thin layer of clear spray lacquer over a home-printed inkjet map, and it did offer some moisture protection. Overall, though, the print quality was so much better with a color laser jet print from Kinkos, and the base moisture resistance was already pretty good. Kinkos did not carry any papers specifically labeled for water resistance. Getting them laminated at Kinkos was also pretty easy and worked well, but it is a little heavy and could get expensive. The rough prices were: 8.5"x11": $0.60/sheet + $2.00 to laminate 11"x17": $1.00/sheet + $3.00 to laminate So, my conclusion is to skip home inkjet entirely, print 3-4 paper copies at the store on a commercial laserjet, store them in ziplock so I have extras when the one in my pocket gets sweaty, and make a laminated copy only when I have a custom map that will probably get a lot of reuse. This may be obvious to most, but I have to work my way through these things.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Nov 6, 2016 9:41:00 GMT -8
Although I like the sharpness of laser-printed maps, they have one disadvantage for me: when they get warm, they stick to the mapcase or ziplock and some toner transfers to the case. In the past, I've used a large-format inkjet printer at work (C or D sized), which has been very convenient. It's off-line now, so I'm considering going commercial when I want a good one.
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Nov 8, 2016 16:27:00 GMT -8
Use photo paper in your printer.
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Post by Jerry E on Nov 28, 2016 17:32:29 GMT -8
Best summarized advice I have seen written down so far, and it mostly agrees with what others have stated above: www.lgmaps.org/?page_id=15Along with having a really nice solution for digital map on a phone, they suggest:
- Printing Tip #1: laser printing stands up to moisture better than ink jet.
- Printing Tip #2: Rite-in-the-Rain sells weather resistant, laser print paper.
- Printing Tip #3: Print shops offer surprisingly inexpensive color laser printing on 11″x17″, and may even let you use your own weather resistant paper.
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bcpete
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Post by bcpete on Dec 19, 2016 21:02:27 GMT -8
RE: Printing Tip #3: Print shops offer surprisingly inexpensive color laser printing on 11″x17″, and may even let you use your own weather resistant paper.
Remember to keep all the packaging of the paper if you are doing this, because I doubt any print shop would try it blind without confirmed paper specs. I own a print shop with a lot of digital copiers/presses, and we would never risk damaging a $100k digital press/copier on just a customer's insistence that the paper they were supplying was 'copier' certified. You'd be better off asking them to use their own weather resistant paper that they have on hand (they should have some if they know what they're doing). The high-end digital copier/presses are quite sensitive to different papers because each paper is essentially pre-programmed into the copier's software (to accommodate different textures, weights, toner, etc). The problem with trying an unknown paper is that waterproof papers are usually made of plastic, and if it's not the proper kind it will jam & melt into the copier's rollers - big time problem!
Also consider asking them to print larger maps (17x22) on a blueprint type output device. We have a machine the prints JPEG/PDF files - with water resistant inks, and can even put them onto a water resistant paper also. These devices are surprisingly cheap to run nowadays for maps! I don't think we charge more than $10 for a 17x22 output.
You can try Staples, but I wouldn't ... go to a local print shop with a good digital copier department because they probably pay their employees a lot more than minimum wage and you can actually talk to someone who knows what they are doing. The front end staff at my place average over 20 years each, and there isn't a copier problem or job they haven't dealt with many times - including digital maps printed 2 sided on waterproof paper.
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Post by Jerry E on Dec 20, 2016 17:45:55 GMT -8
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talus
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Post by talus on Dec 23, 2016 13:01:59 GMT -8
I've used Nikwax Map Proof and it works well on maps I have printed at Staples. I usually have them printed on a heavier paper so that they hold up for the whole trip.
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bcpete
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Post by bcpete on Jan 21, 2017 7:55:39 GMT -8
A bit of a follow up to my post ...
ONE THING YOU WILL WANT TO DO BEFORE BRINGING IN A FILE TO PRINT ... MAKE SURE IT IS SIZED TO THE CORRECT SIZE THAT YOU WANT! I have all the regional topo maps for BC & Alberta in JPEG format (each map is it's own JPEG file). But each map is sized very large - something like 84" x 99" (1:50,000). I usually resize them in Photoshop Elements to 17x22 before I bring them into the shop for printing. If you don't do this (and don't mention anything to the folks doing the printing), then you'll end up with a big mess and it'll cost you extra most likely.
Also, I was a bit off when I quoted the price that my business charges ... if you order 4 maps (in the 17x22 size neighborhood), then the price is $10 each. Otherwise it's $20 to print just one map. These are CDN$ prices.
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Post by vicioustom on Jan 26, 2017 0:14:05 GMT -8
Self adhesive acetate. It's stone age, but works, and/or a decent map case. Those are my preferences, but they work well for me since I tend to like to mark with non-permanent.
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Post by Jerry E on Jan 29, 2017 6:32:45 GMT -8
vicioustom Are you printing on the acetate, or sticking blank acetate over printed paper as weatherproofing? I just want to make sure I understand your suggestion.
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