Can someone explain how I can make my map print on the entire page?
Hi, I've been going through some tutorials for this program and have been able to make a pretty decent map, but am now realizing that since I started the map when I had no idea what I was doing, I may have made some mistakes in the initial setup. I work as a CAD Drafter, so I have a decent grasp of the basics of print scales and things like that, but my job is more focused on small parts, not massive maps. I made this map with a scale of 1083 x 800 (not even sure how that was the number to be honest), but I have access to a printer that is capable of printing an 11x17 sheet and want to print it on that. This map is just an overall world map, so precise scaling isn't a huge issue for this one, but I do intend on making city and encounter maps with this as well and would like those to be more accurate. For an encounter map for example, where I want 1" squares to be printed out on the paper, do I make the print scale 1" = 5' and then size the map accordingly? Which would make the map scale 1020 x 660 take up the entire 11x17 sheet? Thanks in advance, and let me know if I need to post any more clarifying information.
Best Answer
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Monsen
Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
Yea, there is actually a white polygon around most maps by default, on the SCREEN sheet, it is used to hide stuff that might be sticking outside the map border, since a drawing is technically borderless. But the printer will still see that as a valid area to include int he printing.
What you can do to avoid it is to print just the 'active window' instead of 'everything'. Before doing that, simply zoom in to your map, and maybe resize the CC3+ window accordingly so that the view only shows your actual map, nothing more. The best way do do this is to first use the Zoom Window command to define a tight rectangle around your map, and then resize the window afterwards, because CC3+ will remember the zoom you defined and always fit that part inside the window. Also remember, CC3+ do have the map in a separate inner document window, you can resize that instead of the main CC3+ window.
Answers
If you just want to fill the page, simply use the "fit to page" option in the print dialog, no need messing with precise scaling. CC3+ should fill whatever paper size your printer driver reports it is using.
For proper scaled maps, yes, just use 1" paper scale = 5' drawing distance. All you need to do to make that work properly is when making the map, treat the numbers you specify the map size in in the wizard as feet, and just work with the map in real scale, i.e. when a distance should be 5', Info -> distance should show that thing to be 5'.
Thank you! I've tried the fit to page option, but it seems to always end up with some sort of white boarder around the map. Sometimes it's even, sometimes it's biased to one side. Is this possibly because I have this first map at an odd scale/ratio?
Yea, there is actually a white polygon around most maps by default, on the SCREEN sheet, it is used to hide stuff that might be sticking outside the map border, since a drawing is technically borderless. But the printer will still see that as a valid area to include int he printing.
What you can do to avoid it is to print just the 'active window' instead of 'everything'. Before doing that, simply zoom in to your map, and maybe resize the CC3+ window accordingly so that the view only shows your actual map, nothing more. The best way do do this is to first use the Zoom Window command to define a tight rectangle around your map, and then resize the window afterwards, because CC3+ will remember the zoom you defined and always fit that part inside the window. Also remember, CC3+ do have the map in a separate inner document window, you can resize that instead of the main CC3+ window.
Perfect, that is exactly what I needed to know! Thank you so much!