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View Full Version : Maps best printing solution


spottie
05/03/2004, 13:52
i am new to custom maps but there is a really poor selection of maps that wizkids has made. i am skilled enough at photoshop to make my own custom maps. however i am not sure of a good cost effective way of printing them. does anyone have any suggestions? what is the average price for printing a full size map? thanks.

Cheng
05/03/2004, 13:55
You've got your choice of printing it in pieces yourself or having Kinko's print it full size. I'm working on some maps, as are some friends of mine, and I think the Kinko's idea is best. I can't quote an exact price for a 36x36 map, but my wife has printed some big posters for her classroom, and I know it's fairly reasonable (schools don't have big budgets, after all).

Cheng
05/03/2004, 14:00
A note on laminating: I brought all my maps to Kinkos for laminating. It was about $40 a map, but since I brought in 8, they gave me a quantity discount of some sort and I only paid $160 ($20 a map). I brought in one later and had to pay the whole $40. Now, I like the idea of having them laminated, but they roll up to easily and I have to pin down the edges. I bought some clamps at Home Depot, but they won't fit on every table. Just food for thought, since I know protecting maps is a big concern. The best option, if you have room, is to buy a big piece of plastic to lay on top of it. I did that as a kid when I played war games, and it worked out well. But that doesn't help when you're travelling with maps.

Doughboy
05/04/2004, 23:54
40 DOLLARS!??? Holy maceroni man I only pay around $14 a map...and that is IF I want them to cut the excess off for me...if I have them leave the excess it's a buck less. You are getting robbed!

spottie
05/05/2004, 08:46
where are you getting your maps printed for so cheap? both of those prices are a lot less than i was quoted.

Doughboy
05/05/2004, 09:28
Kinko's here in Des Moines, Iowa...they just run them through the big laminator and boom. takes about five minutes and I am on the road. I choked on my food when I read $40...that's nuts.

Silver Lantern
05/12/2004, 05:10
Yes, even in ONE city, map lamination prices vary from one kinkos to another. I paid 1.50 a square foot to laminate 3 maps. It came out to about $40. But I had to shop around. Some kinkos want ridiculous prices to laminate. I also heard map making places are good. In addition, I have a friend who owns a blue print printer, and he can print LARGE HC size paper on it that is at least 3-4 feet wide, and long too, so that may be an option if you can find one of those machines somewhere.
Anyone had a WHOLE BIG map printed out at kinkos? How much was it, and was it in color?

eboladude
05/12/2004, 06:49
LOTS of other places as well - here in DC there is a place that just does laminations - I can get 20 maps done for $100. Some of my associates at the local venue went in and now we're all sitting pretty.

Thalstrak
05/21/2004, 12:40
If you want maps laminated for pretty cheap, try a school supply store. I think I got mine done for around $6 each. Kinko's will rip you off in my opinion, but they do a good job (of ripping you off and your stuff looks good as well). Heh.

Doughboy
05/28/2004, 14:57
I just got a quote from my Kinko's for printing out a 3ft x 3ft map. I was thinking of having the floors of that baxter building printed off in one sheet and laminated but found out they will charge me $54 to print the map and then an additional $13-14 to laminate it. So I may just print it off myself in pieces.