Printing Tips
Free printable Pacific Crest Trail maps are in .pdf file format are available in the downloads section of this web site. The maps are 8 1/2 x 11 inches and optimized for high quality printing.

Because the base data in the National Geographic TOPO! software are scans of topographic maps, if your printer gives you good results printing scans of photographs, it should also give you good results printing these maps. Fortunately many printers have settings to improved photo printing. You should experiment with these settings as they can improve the way your maps print.

Use good quality paper when you print your maps. Splurge and buy high quality inkjet paper if you are using an inkjet printer. You can buy 500 sheets for $7 or $8 at an office supply store and your maps will print better than if you use cheap $3 paper.

Use Adobe Acrobat Reader to print your maps. If your computer has another .pdf viewer do not use it. Adobe Acrobat prints better than Preview on a Macintosh, for example.

Print a few maps to test your settings. Different printers have different settings but you probably want to use the best quality or photo quality printer settings. Enable options to print fine detail if your printer driver has this option. Use the highest dpi setting if your printer driver has this option.

With the right printer, paper and settings these maps can look great when printed.