Ordnance Survey Custom Maps - any good?

ZombieCake

Well-known member
Has anyone used the OS custom map service?  Are they any good quality wise compared to a normal OS map?  Cover customisation seems a nice feature too.
https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/shop/custom-made-maps.html

OS maps seem fiendishly designed so that the bit you want (well I want anyway) is right on the edge of the map, or just off it on another one for the wider area concerned.  Means you need two or three maps to cover.  Nice to have in a library etc. but not always convenient when out and about.  They start at ?16.99 for a custom 1:25000 or 1:50000 one as compared to places like Dash4it selling the normal 1:50000 at ?6.29 a pop.
https://dash4it.co.uk/
Guess you pay for the bespokeness and convenience.
Thanks in advance.
 

andys

Well-known member
We have one centered on our house and it works fine. They are exactly the same as a standard Explorer map in terms of detail, symbols, colour etc etc so absolutely no difference (apart from the price!) to buying the regular map sheets. Also they come folded (as usual) or rolled in a tube for wall mounting if that's what you prefer - which is what we've done with ours.
 

GarDouth

Administrator
I've had a couple done and they work well. They're a bit smaller than a typical map sheet in the amount they cover, same scale though. I wanted mine laminated but they no longer do that service unfortunately.
 

Pete K

Well-known member
I've used these guys who are based in the Hope Valley (Peak) a few times now for bespoke maps for navigation training courses. They are waterproof and you can have text added (e.g. name or nav skill reminders).
https://www.aqua3.com/
 

JasonC

Well-known member
We got one a few years ago.  It's certainly nice to have your own customised map, but I found the paper and printing quality weren't quite up to the standard of the normal versions.  The colours seemed a bit muted and the paper not as glossy, but they may well have improved by now.
 

Graigwen

Active member
These are handy if you are particularly interested in an area that straddles conventional sheet boundaries. You pay extra for the convenience.

I do not see any difference in quality of printing or cover.

album-72157669690391110


https://www.flickr.com/photos/11409438@N06/28236697664/in/album-72157669690391110/

.
 

JoW

Member
Pete K said:
I've used these guys who are based in the Hope Valley (Peak) a few times now for bespoke maps for navigation training courses. They are waterproof and you can have text added (e.g. name or nav skill reminders).
https://www.aqua3.com/

Second this, we had a couple from them and they were very good 🙂
 

glyders

Member
I made the mistake of getting one centred on my house. It disappeared into the fold!
Lesson learned - if there is something really key you want, put the centre just off it!
 
I've got one centred on SWCC so that one map can cover the whole area from the club to the roads east and west. OK it's a premium price for the bespokeness but not daft money. Quality seems fine - from memory I think got a waterproof one
 
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