GeoPDF

[mattmaxon]

I was poking around the USGS online store and saw the option to download USGS maps.

Of course I clicked

DOWNLOAD
TOPO MAPS FREE!

These are GeoPDF version of the good'ol USGS topo

wanna print out a portion of a map that is zoomed way in? This is the hot ticket

Download and install the toolbar too!

Try it you'll like it

Enjoy
Matt

[Hikin_Jim]

Yeah, those are great, aren't they? Very high quality pdf's that, on a good printer, are just about as good as the store-bought USGS ones. They're wonderful for planning and "nav noodling" -- mark 'em up all you want; they're free.

Now, all I need to do is to find a good way to "mosaic" them together, since the biggest sheet of paper I can print is 11x17 and I think the usgs uses something like 36x50 (or some such). Yes, it could be done by hand with a paper cutter, but I keep hoping for something a little more sophisticated.

I guess, I could go back to using my National Geographic Topo! software that I bought in 2000, but the resolution/print quality is so poor.

[mattmaxon]

Yeah, those are great, aren't they? Very high quality pdf's that, on a good printer, are just about as good as the store-bought USGS ones. They're wonderful for planning and "nav noodling" -- mark 'em up all you want; they're free.

Now, all I need to do is to find a good way to "mosaic" them together, since the biggest sheet of paper I can print is 11x17 and I think the usgs uses something like 36x50 (or some such). Yes, it could be done by hand with a paper cutter, but I keep hoping for something a little more sophisticated.

I guess, I could go back to using my National Geographic Topo! software that I bought in 2000, but the resolution/print quality is so poor.

You can print larger sizes over at Kinkos, office depot , etc...

Just put it in a PDF, I'm certain I could take one of these GeoPDF files over to Kinkos and get it printed full size, the PDF properties say it is 21¾ x 27

As to National Geographic TOPO! I use SnagIt, That is how I extracted the image on the post about Haines Cyn.

Enjoy!
Matt

[mattmaxon]

Now, all I need to do is to find a good way to "mosaic" them together, since the biggest sheet of paper I can print is 11x17 and I think the usgs uses something like 36x50 (or some such). Yes, it could be done by hand with a paper cutter, but I keep hoping for something a little more sophisticated. .

I made this image from 2 GeoPDF files

I set the zoom the same (200%) used the screen grab in Acrobat and pasted the result into the image editor of your choice... Then lined em up Viola!

Matt

[Hikin_Jim]

Sweet!

Thanks, Matt, I'm going to have to play around with that.