# Making map posters, postcards, and bookmarks with the Print Map Generator > print-ready map posters, postcards, and bookmarks of any place A framed map of the place you met, the street you grew up on, or the city you got married in makes a gift people keep. This tool does the styling for you: search a location, drag and zoom to frame it, then choose how it sits on the page. The **map is the centrepiece**, and the title, coordinates, frame, and marker arrange around it. Everything exports as a single flat layer, so it prints cleanly at home or at a shop, and the SVG opens in the design editor for further edits. ## What you need - **Printing:** any home printer or a print shop, plus paper or card in your chosen size - **Framing:** a frame that matches your size, or use a custom size in millimetres to fit a frame you already own - **Laser engraving (optional):** the SVG works as single-layer vector art for engraving on wood or acrylic - **Extras:** nothing to install, the tool runs in the browser and a free account is used to generate the export ## Step 1 - Frame the location Search for any city, town, or place, then drag and zoom the map until the streets you care about are clearly separated. Zoom in for a neighbourhood, out for a whole city. The coordinates fill in automatically from the map centre, and you can override them with your own text. ## Step 2 - Pick a layout preset - **Classic:** a rounded rectangle map with the title and details centred below it. - **Circle:** a circular map window, great for a single landmark. - **Editorial:** a large map with a header on top, title on the left, place on the right, a divider line, and coordinates beneath. - **Full frame:** the map bleeds to the sheet edges with a thin frame and the text over a soft fade. ## Step 3 - Style the colours and shape Choose a palette, from soft and vintage to bold two-tone and dark terminal styles, or open **Edit colours** to adjust the background, water, roads, parks, buildings, and every piece of text starting from the current palette. Pick a map shape, or turn on **Full sheet** for an edge to edge map, and use **Map size** to leave more or less breathing room. ## Step 4 - Add your text Enter a title, place name, date, and a short caption. Choose **Text below** for a centred block, or **Header** for a title and place on one row with a divider. Set separate title and label fonts and a text size to match the mood. ## Step 5 - Choose the form factor - **Poster:** A3, A4, A5, or US Letter for wall art and framed prints. - **Postcard:** 105 x 148 mm for a mailer or small keepsake. - **Bookmark:** 55 x 165 mm, a tall strip for a single street or coastline. - **Custom:** any width and height in millimetres, in portrait or landscape. ## Step 6 - Export Download a **PNG** for quick printing, or an **SVG** for crisp vector output at any size that also opens in the design editor. Both are a single flat layer. ## Printing ### Home and print-shop printing 1. Match the poster size to your paper or frame, or set a custom size to fit a frame exactly. 2. Print the PNG at home for a fast result, or send the SVG or PNG to a print shop for large or premium stock. 3. For framing, choose the same aspect as the frame so the map fills it without cropping. 4. Use a heavier matte card for postcards and bookmarks so they feel substantial. ## Laser Engraving ### Engraving from the SVG 1. Download the SVG; it is a single flat layer of fills and lines, so treat the whole design as an engrave. 2. Import into your laser software and set the art to engrave on wood, acrylic, or slate. 3. Pick a high-contrast palette so roads and water separate clearly once engraved in one tone. 4. Test on a small tile first, then run the full poster or bookmark size. ## Make it yours - Anniversary poster of where you met, with the date as the caption. - New-home print of the new address, framed for the entryway. - Wedding map with the venue centred and the couple's names as the title. - Set of postcards of favourite travel cities in one palette as a matching series. - Bookmark of a hometown high street for a reader in the family. - Full-frame city map in a dark palette as a bold feature-wall piece. - Engrave a coastal map onto a wood plaque using the SVG in one tone. --- Open the Print Map Generator: https://www.mylasertools.com//map-poster-generator Read online: https://www.mylasertools.com//learn/guides/map-poster-generator