Ye Olde Inn

I've seen some of the homebrew maps/boards here at the Inn. And I'm trying to figure out the cheapest way to print them.
I talked to a few places and prices ranged from $13 to $60 for one board on cheap paper laminated.
Any suggestions for getting this done?

mitchiemasha wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-_9YRg7o_Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sTWbtpk_I4

I'm not looking to make a board.
I'm trying to find inexpensive printing services.

Depends on where you fall when having to compromise between price, quality, size and material.

You won't do cheaper than about $10USD for an 11x17" board. Prices go up from that size.

Print and play games can make you whatever size board you want, you can get it pretty cheap there for mediocre quality. You can also get higher quality boards there that resemble true board game boards, but it's going to cost more. Good quality for cardboard, but in my opinion, not sort it versus a high quality vinyl.

In vinyl, you'll get a great print quality in any size that is also very durable and easy to clean if your kids/friends/spouse plays with sticky fingers. Of course...the added quality comes with logistical storage problems and costs more...around $30USD for a 2'x2' mat.

clmckay wrote:Depends on where you fall when having to compromise between price, quality, size and material.

You won't do cheaper than about $10USD for an 11x17" board. Prices go up from that size.

Print and play games can make you whatever size board you want, you can get it pretty cheap there for mediocre quality. You can also get higher quality boards there that resemble true board game boards, but it's going to cost more. Good quality for cardboard, but in my opinion, not sort it versus a high quality vinyl.

In vinyl, you'll get a great print quality in any size that is also very durable and easy to clean if your kids/friends/spouse plays with sticky fingers. Of course...the added quality comes with logistical storage problems and costs more...around $30USD for a 2'x2' mat.

What storage problems? Wouldn't vinyl roll up?

Yes, it sure does. The problem is when you have several, it's a hassle having them all rolled together because you can't just get the one you want without unrolling the whole thing and you want them stored so they don't crease or wrinkle during extended storage times. To that end you either need to have them rolled up in a long tube or stored flat. Likewise, when you have quite a few you probably have maps of differing sizes. Sorting them out and finding the one you want when they're all mixed together is, oddly, more frustrating than you would tend to think it would be.

I've got like 20 of these mats and have stored them both ways. By far flat is the best but takes up a fair amount of room. Ones that didn't turn out how I liked I've rolled up in a tube, sometimes I'll drag them out and the corners have bent under their own weight. They have to be stored vertically when rolled, if you leave them rolled horizontally then they'll crease along the length over time.

I'll be watching this thread. I'm interested in printing some boards myself someday, probably professionally.

clmckay wrote:Yes, it sure does. The problem is when you have several, it's a hassle having them all rolled together because you can't just get the one you want without unrolling the whole thing and you want them stored so they don't crease or wrinkle during extended storage times. To that end you either need to have them rolled up in a long tube or stored flat. Likewise, when you have quite a few you probably have maps of differing sizes. Sorting them out and finding the one you want when they're all mixed together is, oddly, more frustrating than you would tend to think it would be.

I've got like 20 of these mats and have stored them both ways. By far flat is the best but takes up a fair amount of room. Ones that didn't turn out how I liked I've rolled up in a tube, sometimes I'll drag them out and the corners have bent under their own weight. They have to be stored vertically when rolled, if you leave them rolled horizontally then they'll crease along the length over time.

Have you thought about putting them on the wall in a frame with accessibility? You know, behind glass, but with some sort of string attached to each map and an opening in the frame to pull them out easily? You could put on top as a framed poster whichever map you wanna see at the time. Just brainstorming here, but maybe there's ways to build such a frame if it isn't a thing already.

I was thinking something simple.
Like a plain paper/poster like material laminated.
I don't need the actual gameboard.
Just some area map to lay on top of the original board.

clmckay wrote:
Print and play games can make you whatever size board you want, .

The site claims ANY size board.
The "custom boards (any size)" option only goes up to 13×19
Which is much smaller than the 18×24 HQ board.
But it's the ONLY option to get a double sided print.
And they're flat mats, whichis what I'm looking for.
The deluxe boards have an 18×24 option.
But they're thick ACTUAL game boards with black backs so no two sided prints.

This is frustrating