Printing Custom Google Maps
If you are anything like me (and for your mothers sake I hope not) then you love making maps with Google (like here). I am still very much a neophyte compared to what some can do with Google Maps, but I’ve often found myself wanting to print some of my creations to take with me.
Anyone who has tried to print a custom map will find that it leaves something to be desired. For example, I make a lot of maps that flag places of interest in cities (bars, restaurants, points of interest) and want to be able to print the map with corresponding labels. Google just doesn’t do a solid enough job for me.
How do I take my custom Google map get in an easy to print format, you ask?
Well, I use the Google mymaps converter. This delightful piece of code uses the the KML code in your google map (right-click on the little KML guy ( 
) and copy the link location. Then you paste that into the mymaps converter and, boom, you get a printer friendly little map complete with a legend.
I love people who are smarter than me and can make stuff like this.
Third Rail Repository 
So, you love everyone then?
Ouch…
No wedding present for you!
It’s only right that you hate me….I can’t make that stuff either.
you could make lachlan a custom map for a wedding present.
Great tool! Thanks for the tip!
Hey Itay, glad you can get some use out of it, thanks for stopping by.
Yay! My wife and I are about to go on honeymoon and were annoyed that we couldn’t get a simple printout from Googlemaps of the things we wanted to see. THANKS!
Thanks, there is also http://www.mapsonpaper.com/
Yep, this made my day! thanks.
Thank you for this post and the link. Saved me.
thankyou! this is really helpful, you saved my life!
this rocks… you are a gentleman and a scholar…
Works great, thanks!
How to Capture Google Maps for Printing and Poster Design: Go here n get it in simple steps
http://nilojan.blogspot.com/2011/09/digital-urban-tutorial-how-to-capture.html
A somewhat low-tech solution is using the Print Screen / Screen Capture feature of your operating system’s window manager to save the entire screen or a section of it into a PNG file, and then printing that file, by itself or as a part of an HTMl / LaTeX / MS Word / PDF document. One issue is that maps generated by Google Maps (and, really, many other similar providers) usually have very poor contrast, and are hardly legible as a hard copy. However, it is not difficult to adjust the contrast using your image manipulation software, e.g. ImageMagick.
Maps used to print just like the on-screen image. Now, for the last month, they print without the blue highlighted route and the green location flags. That makes them useless to me. Why was this changed? Can I get back to the old way of printing the complete picture?
Hey Fred,
Yeah, it looks like the support for this original option has not been the best. The good news is, since I posted this another solid option has come along – you might want to try: http://www.mapsonpaper.com/
Ben
MapAndPrint.com is designed for printing maps. It has maps like google streets, aerials, and additional maps including: topo, hybrid, terrain, and others.
The cool factor is that the website can print “panel maps” that can cover an entire wall! I had my MapAndPrint map images printed at walmart in under an hour…… Cool, if your impatient like me
Ben, thank you from the bottom of my stressed-out soul ♥