Tips & Tricks 30
This page contains several maps that you can download and print. You may print and use these maps for your own gaming needs but these may not be sold commercially without permission.
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Instructions for building the Rock Hex Hills are on our Hex Hill Building Instructions page. |
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Large Format Copies and Color Prints
Your first question will probably be "Where can I get a large copy of these maps printed?" The easiest way is to do a Google search for large format copies "your city" (put your city name in the quotes).
Several places should come up. Some places you can find locally, bring in the file on a USB thumb drive and they will print it out for you. Some places you can upload the file to their web site and they will send you the printed copy in the mail. I wrote this article in December of 2014 so prices may have changed a bit over time.
The prices shown here are 36" x 48" prints. Some places listed may not do both black/white and full color prints.
 UPS Store |
 FedEx Office |
 Staples |
 Local sign shop |
Black and white map copies are a cheap alternative. Over time I intend to add more black and white maps when I update this page.
Full color maps can be fairly expensive to print out. Be sure to shop around. I found an advertising agency that made me a full color print for $60.00 ($5.00 per square foot) and I am sure there may be other places out there which are cheaper than that.
Another thing to consider is what material you want it printed on. I prefer smooth vinyl but the place you visit may call it something else. These prints are usually meant for outdoor use and hold up very well over time. I try to not use a glossy material because you don't want a glare from the map when you're trying to play a game.
Changing the Map Size
All of these maps use a 1.5" hex grid measured from flat to flat. If you want a larger or smaller hex grid, then you will need to have your printing company enlarge or reduce the size of the image for you before they print it.
| Size of Hex | Finished Print Size | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| 1" Hexes | 24" x 32" | 66% |
| 1.25" Hexes | 30" x 40" | 83% |
| 1.75" Hexes | 42" x 56" | 116% |
| 2" Hexes | 48" x 64" | 133% |
Here is how you use this chart. Let's say you wanted to print out one of these hex maps but wanted the hexes to be 1.25". Take the file to your local printing company and ask them to reduce the size of the map to be 30" x 40".
Black and White Maps
I have included these map images for you to use on your gaming table. I've uploaded them onto my "google drive" account so anyone can access and use them. Please note that these are for private use only and may not be sold commercially without permission.
After you pick the map you want and it comes up in Google Drive, right-clicking and choosing "save as" will not give you the correct picture. There is a download symbol at the top of the screen. Pick that symbol to open or save the full-sized file.
At the moment I only have a plain hex map available. I intend to add more black and white maps later on as our gaming group works on various games. This map is 36" x 48" and 150 dpi.
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This map is a hex grid only. The hexes measure 1.5" from flat to flat. The hexes are also a screen tinted gray. |
Color Maps
These are full color map images for you to use on your gaming table. I've uploaded them onto my "google drive" account so anyone can access and use them. Please note that these are for private use only and may not be sold commercially without permission.
After you pick the map you want and it comes up in Google Drive, right-clicking and choosing "save as" will not give you the correct picture. There is a download symbol at the top of the screen. Pick that symbol to open or save the full-sized file.
I will eventually add more maps later on as our gaming group works on various games. These maps are 36" x 48" and 150 dpi. The 1.5" hex pattern is darkened slightly so you can easily see for movement but not so dark that it's distracting.
Also keep in mind that the colors will be different depending on the printer used. The colors you see on the monitor and the colors that will end up being printed will vary.
Printed colors on these maps will be more vibrant and colorful than the hills you paint. If you want to be sure that your hill colors will match your map, print the map first, then paint your hills to match.
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This is a jungle map. The main image is from www.texturelib.com and is actually a photo of lichen that was colorized.  |
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This is a meadow map. The main image was pieced together using about 20 various aerial photos.  |
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This is a rocky jungle map. The main image is from www.texturelib.com and the rock texture I found locally.  |
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This is a desert map. For this map I pieced together various photos of Mars.  |
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This is a lava map. I created the lava using a YouTube tutorial. The lava rock was made by piecing together lava photos from Mount Kilauea.  |
Guide Sheets
These PDF files have various sizes of hex grids. There is also a PDF file of the whole hex grid layout shrunk down to one regular sized page. This is useful for recording where your hills and objectives are placed when planning a game.
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Here is an example of how the guide sheets are used. After you lay out the hills on your map, you can use the guide sheet to write down exactly where the hills and objectives are for the map. This way you can remember where things go for future reference. Instructions for building the Rock Hex Hills are on our Hex Hill Building Instructions page. |
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