Print guide

Map print sizes, DPI and pixel dimensions

Pick the paper size first, then work out how many pixels the map needs. This guide lists the common A-series and US sizes with their pixel dimensions, explains when you can get away with fewer pixels, and covers margins, bleed and the files print shops ask for.

Set up a page in the editor Jump to the size table

A6 to A1 and US sizes
Pixels at 150 and 300 DPI
Bleed and margins explained
Worked example

The short version

For a map that people read up close, print at 300 DPI at the final size. To get the pixel count, divide the size in millimetres by 25.4 and multiply by the DPI. An A3 page is 420 × 297 mm, so at 300 DPI it needs 4,961 × 3,508 pixels.

Print Map Studio does this maths for you. Pick a page size in the printable map maker and the PNG and PDF exports render the map at 300 DPI for that page. The PNG also stores its DPI, so layout and print software open it at the right physical size instead of guessing.

A2 to A6 presets
US Letter
Custom millimetres
300 DPI exports

Paper sizes in millimetres, inches and pixels

Sizes are listed long edge first. Turn the numbers around for portrait. The last column shows whether the size is a one-click preset in the editor or something you type into the custom width and height fields.

Common map print sizes with pixel dimensions at 150 and 300 DPI.
Size	Millimetres	Inches	Pixels at 150 DPI	Pixels at 300 DPI	In the editor
A6	148 × 105	5.8 × 4.1	874 × 620	1,748 × 1,240	Preset
A5	210 × 148	8.3 × 5.8	1,240 × 874	2,480 × 1,748	Preset
US Letter	279.4 × 215.9	11 × 8.5	1,650 × 1,275	3,300 × 2,550	Preset
A4	297 × 210	11.7 × 8.3	1,754 × 1,240	3,508 × 2,480	Preset
Tabloid (11 × 17 in)	431.8 × 279.4	17 × 11	2,550 × 1,650	5,100 × 3,300	Custom size
A3	420 × 297	16.5 × 11.7	2,480 × 1,754	4,961 × 3,508	Preset
A2	594 × 420	23.4 × 16.5	3,508 × 2,480	7,016 × 4,961	Preset
18 × 24 in	609.6 × 457.2	24 × 18	3,600 × 2,700	7,200 × 5,400	Custom size
50 × 70 cm	700 × 500	27.6 × 19.7	4,134 × 2,953	8,268 × 5,906	Custom size
A1	841 × 594	33.1 × 23.4	4,967 × 3,508	9,933 × 7,016	Custom size
24 × 36 in	914.4 × 609.6	36 × 24	5,400 × 3,600	10,800 × 7,200	Custom size

Pixel values are rounded to the nearest whole pixel, the same rounding the exporter uses.
Custom pages accept any width and height in 0.1 mm steps, up to 1330 mm a side.

How viewing distance changes the resolution you need

Normal eyesight separates details about one arcminute apart. Turn that angle into pixels and you get a handy rule: the PPI you need is roughly 3438 divided by the viewing distance in inches. Double the distance and you need half the pixels.

Maps bend this rule because people walk up to them. Someone admiring an A2 poster from across the room will step in to read a street name, and at 30 cm small labels need the full 300 DPI. That is why Print Map Studio renders PNG and PDF exports at 300 DPI, for the closest reader.

Approximate resolution limit of normal vision at common viewing distances.
Viewing distance	Resolution the eye can use	Typical map
30 cm (1 ft)	about 290 PPI	Handouts, guidebook pages, A5 and A4 maps held in the hand
60 cm (2 ft)	about 145 PPI	Desk maps and A3 sheets on a pinboard
1 m (3.3 ft)	about 85 PPI	A2 posters on a wall
2 m (6.6 ft)	about 45 PPI	Large posters seen across a room

Worked example: a 50 × 70 cm framed poster

50 × 70 cm is one of the most common ready-made frame sizes in Europe, and a popular size for a city map poster. It is bigger than A2 and smaller than A1, so it goes in as a custom size.

Page size list with A2 to A6, US Letter and Custom next to an A3 portrait poster — **Page size, orientation and margins live in one panel.**Pick a preset or type your own width and height in millimetres.

Set a custom page
Choose Custom and enter 500 × 700 mm in portrait. Measure the frame opening first, because some frames are cut slightly smaller than their label.
Work out the pixels
700 ÷ 25.4 × 300 = 8,268 pixels tall, and 500 ÷ 25.4 × 300 = 5,906 wide. That is about 49 megapixels, and Print Map Studio exports it as a single 300 DPI PNG.
Leave room for the mat
A mat usually overlaps the print by a few millimetres on each side. If yours covers 5 mm, raise the margins from the default 10 mm to 15 mm so the title and the map credit stay visible.
Check it at room scale
Open the wall preview, pick a black, white, oak or walnut frame, set the mat width and wall colour, and see how the poster reads before you order the print.

Trim, bleed, safe area and margin

Print shops use these four words constantly. Knowing them makes the upload form much less confusing.

Trim size: The final size of the sheet after cutting. This is the page size you set in the editor.
Bleed: Extra artwork beyond the trim, usually 3 mm per side, so colour that runs to the edge leaves no white sliver after cutting. Ask your print shop whether they want it, and how much.
Safe area: The zone inside the trim where text belongs, usually 3 to 5 mm in from the edge, because the guillotine can drift by a millimetre or two.
Margin: Paper-coloured space between the page edge and the map. Print Map Studio starts with 10 mm on every side, and you can set each side from 0 to 100 mm in 0.5 mm steps.

Margins, bleed and the map credit in Print Map Studio

Margins live in the Layout tab. With white paper and a 10 mm margin, the edge of the sheet is blank paper, which already works as a safe area. Bleed matters once colour reaches the trim: a dark paper colour like the one in the After dark layout preset, or margins set to zero so the map runs off the edge.

For a 3 mm bleed, enter the trim size plus 6 mm in each direction, so an A3 becomes 303 × 426 mm in portrait. If the design keeps its margins, as a dark poster usually does, add the same 3 mm to each one. The default 10 mm becomes 13 mm, and your title and the credit stay clear of the cut.

The map data credit (© OpenStreetMap contributors, OpenMapTiles and OpenFreeMap) prints as a 6 pt caption in the bottom margin, lined up with the poster text. A long credit steps down to 5 pt and wraps onto a second line. With the bottom margin at zero, the editor adds a slim paper-coloured strip for the credit, so it always sits just below the map.

Layout tab with title, subtitle and font settings for a Lisbon poster — **Page, margins and text in one place.**Title, subtitle and coordinates live in the same Layout tab.

Which file to send to a print shop

All four print formats come out of the same Export dialog at the page size you set. The right one depends on who handles the file next, and the export formats page goes into each in more depth.

Print Map Studio export formats and when to use each.
Format	What you get	Send it when
PDF	Exact page size with a 300 DPI basemap. Routes, places, shapes and poster text stay as vectors. 300 DPI holds up to A1.	Most print shops. A PDF at trim size, or trim plus bleed, is the safest upload.
PNG	One 300 DPI image with its DPI stored in the file, in one piece up to 50 × 70 cm. A1 and 24 × 36 in PNGs stream straight to disk in Chrome and Edge.	The shop prints posters or photos from image files, or the map is going into Canva, Word or InDesign.
Layered SVG	Routes, places and shapes as named vector groups over the basemap. Flat maps can also use a fully vector basemap with editable text.	A designer will finish the map in Illustrator, Affinity Designer or Inkscape.
Layered PSD	Each content layer and the credit as its own Smart Object over the basemap. 300 DPI up to A4 and US Letter, with resolution set automatically on bigger pages so the file stays workable in Photoshop.	Photoshop is the next step.

Press printing converts colours to CMYK, and bright blues and greens can shift. Ask for a proof when a colour has to match.

Choosing paper for a map print

Thin roads and small labels want a smooth surface, and dark styles want a paper that holds deep ink.

Matte poster paper, 170 to 200 gsm: no glare and easy to read under any light. A safe default for light styles such as Paper and Porcelain.
Satin or lustre: a soft sheen and deeper blacks. Good for Night Ink and other dark styles.
Gloss: the richest colour, with reflections to match. Best on a wall away from windows.
Cotton rag fine art paper, 300 gsm and up: heavy and textured, for a framed gift. Pick a smooth finish for street maps so thin lines stay sharp.
Office paper, 80 to 120 gsm: fine for handouts and proofs. Colours print lighter, so check that routes still stand out.
Heavy card, 250 to 350 gsm: for invitations and place cards with a small map on them.

Before you send the file

Confirm the trim size
Check the exact size with the print shop or the frame. A "poster" can mean A2, 18 × 24 in or 50 × 70 cm depending on who you ask.
Ask about bleed
If the shop wants bleed and your colour reaches the edge, add it to the page size and the margins as described above.
Export a PDF and open it
Zoom to 100% in a PDF reader and read the smallest street label. If you can read it on screen at that zoom, it will print.
Order a small proof
Print an A4 section at full scale, or ask the shop for a proof, before paying for a large run.

Ready to start?

Pick a page size and start your map.

Set up a page in the editor

Printable map maker

Maps for handouts, reports and guidebooks at an exact page size, as PDF or PNG.

City map posters

Pick a city, a style and a paper size for a poster that reads well on a wall.

Layered SVG and PSD export

Compare PNG, PDF, layered SVG and layered PSD for print and design work.

Map poster templates

Five poster layouts and four starter cities to begin from instead of a blank page.

Common questions.

Quick answers about DPI, pixel sizes and bleed.

What DPI should a map poster be?

300 DPI at the final size. Large posters seen from a few metres look fine at lower resolutions, but people step closer to read map labels, so 300 is the safer choice for anything with street names.

How many pixels is an A2 print at 300 DPI?

7,016 × 4,961 pixels for a 594 × 420 mm sheet. At 150 DPI it is 3,508 × 2,480.

Can I print an A4 map at A2?

Set the page to A2 in the editor before you export. Print Map Studio renders map detail for the page you choose, so an A2 export has four times the pixels of an A4 one rather than an enlarged A4.

What size is 11 × 17 in millimetres?

Tabloid is 279.4 × 431.8 mm. Enter it as a custom size; at 300 DPI it is 5,100 × 3,300 pixels.

Do I need bleed for a map with white margins?

Usually not. Bleed exists for colour that touches the trim edge, and with white paper and margins the edge is blank either way. Your print shop has the final word, so ask if you are unsure.