How to Plan for Map Printing: Materials, Folding, and Durability Tips
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- Map design
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How to Plan for Map Printing: Materials, Folding, and Durability Tips
Designing your map is just the first step — printing it right is just as important.
Without the right materials, folding style, and durability, even a beautiful design can fall flat.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to plan for successful map printing so your project looks great, feels great, and stands the test of time.
Step 1: Choose the Right Material
Your map’s material needs to match how and where it will be used.
Here’s a quick guide:
Standard Coated or Uncoated Paper:
Great for indoor maps, visitor guides, rack card inserts, and short-term events.
Synthetic Waterproof Paper:
Ideal for outdoor trail maps, bike maps, and all-weather applications. It resists tears, moisture, and dirt.
Heavy Stock Card or Board:
Best for wall displays, property maps, or signage that needs durability and structure.
Pro tip: If your map will be folded often or exposed to the elements, upgrading to a synthetic or coated stock is a smart investment.
Step 2: Think About Folding Early
Folding impacts everything — from how the map is designed to how it’s printed and cut.
Different projects call for different folds:
Accordion Fold (Z-Fold):
Popular for compact tourism maps and rack cards. Easy to open and refold.
Roll Fold:
Ideal for larger maps that need to unfold panel by panel.
Custom Pop-Out or Pop-Up Folds:
Great for promotional or creative projects where you want a little "wow" factor.
At PocketMaps, we design maps with folding built in — making sure important landmarks don’t get hidden in folds or lost along seams.
👉 See how we can help with custom map design and printing.
Step 3: Plan for Durability
If your map will be handled a lot — by tourists, hikers, guests, or attendees — it needs to survive real-world use.
Consider these durability upgrades:
Lamination: Adds a protective coating that resists moisture and tearing.
UV Coating: Provides a glossy finish and added surface protection.
Tear-Resistant Stocks: Especially important for maps used outdoors or in rugged environments.
The right durability choices protect your investment and extend the life of your map.
Step 4: Don’t Forget Bleeds, Margins, and Trim
These small technical details make a big difference in the final printed product.
Important things to plan:
Bleed: Extends colors and graphics slightly beyond the edge for clean trimming.
Safe Margin: Keeps important text and icons away from edges and folds.
Trim Line: Where the final cut will happen after printing.
Working with a professional team ensures your files are set up correctly — and saves you from costly printing mistakes.
Quick Recap: How to Plan for Map Printing Success
✅ Pick materials that match real-world use
✅ Choose folding styles that fit your project and audience
✅ Upgrade durability if needed for weather or handling
✅ Plan your design with bleed, margin, and trim in mind
Ready to Print Your Custom Map?
At PocketMaps, we handle the entire process — from custom design to bulk printing — so your map looks great and performs even better.
Whether you need 500 waterproof trail maps or 25,000 tourism guides, we make it easy.
👉 Start your custom map project today.
Let’s bring your vision to life!
Manage Your Project with Full Transparency
When you work with PocketMaps, you don’t just get great design and printing — you also get full visibility into your order every step of the way.
Our easy-to-use online dashboard lets you:
Track your project from design to proofing to production to shipping
See estimated ship dates and delivery times
Upload updated files or split shipments if needed
Chat directly with our customer service team anytime
We built this platform because, before PocketMaps, we were customers too — and we couldn’t find a solution that worked.
After 10 years of building and refining our system, we’re proud to offer you a faster, easier, stress-free experience.