Discussion: Map Paper

Looking for suggestions on weight and brightness for map printing.

Coated paper is the most important property. I like Futura Dull Coated 80lb text.

We use 80 lb text matte. Very happy with it.

Offset, laser or inkjet?

Inkjet (for me at least).

robplow recommended https://www.amazon.com/Epson-S041111-Inkjet-Paper-... to me, and it worked well.

Tyvek.

Pretex

It depends very much on your printer.

The stuff I recommended is Inkjet paper - it is coated on one side - there are other companies that make similar products.

I once mistakenly used coated Inkjet paper in a laser printer - the printed result was OK but after a while the paper stopped feeding correctly - seemed the coating was coming off and getting into the feed system.

I would guess that water resistant papers like tyvek, pretex, etc don't work in Inkjets.

ISOM 2017 Section 2.12 "An orienteering map must be printed on good, possibly water resistant, paper (weight 80-120 g/m2)."

I did order the Epson coated paper that JimBaker linked to, as a trial, based on an earlier suggestions on AP. The quality was fine, but I was hard pressed to say it was better than when printed on HP Bright White Paper (24 lb (same as the Epson), 100 brightness). And the price of the Epson paper was about 5 times that of HP Bright White. I still have some left from my order (about 98 sheets in fact), so I will do some more trials and see if possibly I was missing something from the first time I tried it.

The printer I use, by the way, is an HP OfficeJet Pro 8610. It uses inks that are water insoluble. I did a test when I first got it, by running water over the map and rubbing it with my hands to try to get the ink to run; it didn't. The paper finally fell apart, but the ink was still intact.

I sometimes use an Epson inkjet and set it for Matte presentation paper, but just use regular paper. It does a pretty good job that way.

These days we mostly print using a laser printer at Office Depot on 80 lb. glossy text paper.

When testing water resistance, tap water may not be good enough. There anecdotal evidence of ink that stands up to tap water, but not to sweat.

Would salt water be a good test fluid? Or anything else that can be formulated (easily) to somewhat mimic sweat?

Gookinaid? :-)

Handling and rubbing has a big influence on the surface behaviour. There's been some research done in other sports, eg cricket.

I'd imagine that going for sweaty off-trail runs through various vegetation, some dropping in marshes and continuing, and so forth, is likely to be much more useful testing than Gookinaid ERG, potting soil and a map in a beaker.

This year Billygoat and Westchester County Challenge will use waterproof paper, laser printed @1200 dpi, with lamination on back side, for reading clarity. Tests were very promising, cost reasonable.

This is how we tested Pretex before we decided to use it

Tyvek has issues when it folded. Terra Slate that can be bought on Amazon is very good although you need a laser printer. Seems to be fine with normal settings. I left in water for 5 or 6 days with no degradation. I have rubbed it and tried to make it run and bleed but it doesn't. Perhaps, more research has to be done on it but it is used for menus in restaurants where they wipe it off and it is as good as new. It seems to give a nice clear copy. Costs about $.50 a piece but would reduce the bagging needed for national meets if it ever gets approved.

Approved by whom?

Another thing to test is what happens when the map gets mud on it. The first time I orienteered with waterproof paper was 1991 in Switzerland, where they used Artosil. Durable and the ink didn't run, but mud would stain it, creating a weird color that made it difficult to read. I've also orienteered on Teslin maps and didn't have that problem, but I think it was in a place that didn't have much mud.

Incidentally, putting maps in plastic bags isn't as big a deal a some people seem to think.

laser printed @1200 dpi,
What printer are you using?

Blood on synthetic paper is also a problem with some materials

Interested in seeing how the BG maps hold up. Would like to dispense with the plastic bags, mostly because I see them as a wasteful trash item. I put mine in the plastic grocery bag recycling, but not sure if they are the correct plastic type.

For NAOC2018, we're using https://www.amazon.ca/Hammermill-Printer-Digital-L...

Coated finish for crisp lines, nice heft (somewhat heavier than copy paper). Maps will be bagged.

"putting maps in plastic bags isn't as big a deal a some people seem to think."
When you have to reprint the maps a week before the event and its a WMOC carnival, it becomes a big deal..

On the subject of synthetic maps, AP archivist suggests this thread: https://www.attackpoint.org/discussionthread.jsp/m... (messages 100+)

I still love the Robuskin stuff.