Q. How do I know what size my map is? Can I make it fit a desired page size for printing?
A. This is now very easy with the new ‘page set-up and scaling’ options in Map Templates.
Double click on the Map Template layer in the display list and click on the ‘Page setup and scaling’ tab. Alternatively go to the Map Template menu and select “’Page Setup and Scaling’…
This will bring up a panel that will give you all of the options you need to control the scale of your map and adjust to the desired page size. There are 4 ‘Page size modes’ available.
The default page size mode is ‘Screen’. This is the perfect mode to use for on screen viewing and for digital maps, e.g. maps for Powerpoint which do not require a real scale or page size.
If you require a map at an exact scale, change the page size mode to ‘Fixed scale’. This mode allows you to set a desired map scale. When you select this mode, the physical print size of the map is also displayed.
If the physical print size of your map is crucial (e.g. if it needs to be included in a particular document), you can choose the ‘Fixed page size’ mode. You then have 2 choices for ‘Scale rounding’. If you chose the map scale to be rounded, Petrosys will fit the map as closely to the desired page size as possible, whilst making sure that the scale is adjusted to a round, sensible number.
Setting the scale rounding to Exact will force Petrosys to fit the map perfectly to the page size however, this may cause an awkward (unusual) map scale (e.g. 1: 70764).
The final scenario in map making is when you require both a fixed scale and page size. By choosing the ‘Fixed page size and scale’ mode, you will be able to control the scale you want to use for your map and the page size you want to print it on. Choose a scale and Petrosys will suggest the best page size match for it. If you prefer a different page size, the extent of your map will be adjusted to fit both parameters. However, with all the new Map Template options, it’s very easy to adjust the map to a new extent.
