Frequently asked questions
What people ask most about how the maps are made and what you can do with them.
- Which places can I map?
- Almost anywhere. Spain is fully prepared, with Cadastre buildings and national elevation data. For the rest of the world, each region's data is downloaded from OpenStreetMap the first time someone asks for a map there. For now, countries that are only distributed as one very large file are left out.
- Why does the first map of an area take so long?
- Because the region's data has to be downloaded and prepared, which takes minutes. Later maps in that region are much faster. A map of a large city also takes longer than one of a village: there are many more buildings to draw.
- Which formats can I download?
- Without an account, PNG up to 150 dots per inch. With a free account, PNG up to 600, true-to-size vector PDF and SVG with one layer per colour.
- Which paper sizes are there?
- A6 to A3, Letter, 20 and 30 cm squares, and screen and phone formats. With a free account, also A2, 30 × 40 and 50 × 70 cm posters, and custom sizes in millimetres.
- May I publish or sell the map I make?
- The data is open and allows it as long as the source is credited. That is why every map carries its credit line ("© OpenStreetMap contributors" and, where applicable, the Spanish Cadastre and IGN): do not remove it.
- Is the scale exact?
- Yes. You choose the scale and the paper, and the map comes out at that scale: you can measure on the print with a ruler, as long as it is printed at 100%.
- Do I need to sign up or install anything?
- To make a map and download it, no: it runs in the browser without an account. With a free account (email or Google) you get everything: higher quality, PDF and SVG, every element your way and your saved styles and maps. Nothing to install.
- Does the site store the maps I make?
- Not under your name. Only if you share a map with “Share this map” are its options kept (the place, paper and style, nothing about you) under a random code, so the link is short and shows its thumbnail when pasted. If nobody opens that link for six months, it is deleted.
- Why can't I find a street in the search?
- The search knows towns and peaks, not streets or addresses. Search for the town and move the map to the spot.
- Can I use it to navigate in the mountains?
- It is not made for that. The data is open, may contain errors and gaps, and lacks the information of an official map.
- What do I get with an account?
- Right now, everything the site does: editing every map element (single colours, what is drawn, hatching and order), the large papers (A2, posters and custom sizes), the heaviest maps, PNG at 600 dpi, PDF and SVG, and saving your styles and maps. The account is free.
- Is what I see on screen what I download?
- It is the same map, but what is on screen is a preview: without an account, a 150 dpi image, the same you can download. With an account, what you download comes out at the quality you choose when downloading.
- How do I delete my account?
- From your account, under “Delete my account”. Everything goes: your details, your styles and your saved maps.
- What do you keep from my account?
- Your email, your username, your encrypted password (unless you sign in with Google) and the styles and maps you save. Your email is never shown on the site.