Printing Paper Charts

[Captain Smollett]

In an earlier thread, NOAA's introduction of the PDF format for Raster charts was mentioned.  This is a welcome addition, and allows users to have charts printed on a large format printer.

The Booklet Charts are also an attractive alternative, but they suffer two disadvantages:

(a) They are not available for all NOAA charts
(b) They are reduced size.  Often this won't matter, but sometimes it does.

You can print your own 'full size' charts on your own printer for a little extra work.

The needed piece is software called PosteRazor, available for Window, Mac and Linux.

http://posterazor.sourceforge.net/

The input for PosteRazor is an image file, such as a png.  Here's the procedure I use:

(1) Download appropriate BSB (.kap) file for the chart if I don't already have it.
(2) Use an image converter to generate a png file from the .kap file, such as

libbsb for Linux (http://libbsb.sourceforge.net/), or
BSB Reader for Windows (http://sourceforge.net/projects/bsbreader/)

(there are others...)

(3) Open the png file in an image editor (gimp, PhotoShop, etc) to do the following:

(a) set print resolution to 300 dpi
(b) crop out any unwanted parts of the image...I don't always need the "full" chart, especially if the chart has large areas of "ocean" or "land," etc.

This cropping will save paper.

Save the image as png (other formats will work, but png is what I use).

(4) Open the edited png in PosteRazor.

This software allows you to set the paper size and orientation, the amount of overlap, etc.  It's very handy.

I usually try both landscape and portrait to see which more efficiently uses the paper for a given chart.

(5) Last step in PosteRazor is saving the image as a single pdf.

(6) When you open that pdf with a pdf reader (Okular, Adobe Reader, etc), you can print the file to a regular home sized printer...and PosteRazor generated the borders and overlap that you set up.

(7) Trim borders as needed, align and glue and/or tape sheets together.

(8) If you use a pigment ink based printer (such as Epson), the inks are water resistant.  If your printer uses water soluble ink, you may want to spray coat the prints to make them more durable.

For example, I just finished printing a cropped version of 11503 (cropped the 'ocean' out...didn't need it for this chart) and used 9 sheets of paper.

Current cost at Staples is about $14.00 for a 24" x 36" print; cost of DIY is much less than that:

Estimate $0.04 per page for ink in the printer (this is what it was for my Epson printer in 2009)
Estimate $0.03 per page for cost of paper (current price from Staples)

Generously call it ten cents a page, so less than $1.00 for the home made chart that used 9 sheets.

[Travelnik]

I think this deserves a grog, and needs to be made into a sticky!

[SoloBob]

The Blueprint world has gotten very small, most "Blueprints" are now in PDF format, printed in black & white, although color is available.  ... I'm a Contractor and get most of my "prints" in this format. 

I'm in Atlanta, and use a company called LDI Reproprinting ( just an example).  I get Black and White 24" x 36" copies for less than $2.00  a page.   It's been awhile since I had a color copy of that size made, but if memory serves me correctly, it was about $ 4.50.  I can email them the PDFs, and stop by the next morning, and they are waiting on me.

Might want to check around in your area for a similar business.   

I haven't had a chart printed up yet, but I do intend to go this path with some charts, just to see.

I did have them enlarge & print me a 24 x 36 SailPlan ... I was very happy with it .

Just an Idea

[Captain Smollett]

I'd be willing to bet the pricing on large prints is location dependent.  There are economies of scale at work in a place like Atlanta.

Here in a much smaller town, there are not as many options.  Fed Ex offers large format printing and I guesstimate price for posters is $22.00 per sheet from online research.  Staples is another and online prices are $14.00.

Given a choice, I'd much prefer color charts to b&w.  So, I can do homemade color charts for a buck or two, here at home (without running around in traffic to pick up at another location, etc).

This is an option; options are good.  One size does not have to fit all.