# printing charts ?



## Arjen (Jan 18, 2012)

Is there any place where i can download charts that i can print ? I know i can order them and have them send to me, but it sounds a bit rediculous to me to have a piece of printed paper sent over half the world in this age where we can send such info in microseconds and at no cost.....

I did find Chart Downloader for NOAA RNC&#174 , but i have no idea how to open these files and thus dont even know if they are what i need. 

PS, i dont need them to be printed on the exact scale and stuff like that and i dont need 1 A0 size printout or whatever. Several A3 size prints will do. A4 if i cant find anyone with an A3 printer even. No worries about such details. If the information is there on paper, it will work out for me.

I would apreciate it if anyone could direct me to a site that has what i am looking for or explain me how to open and print the files i linked. If not, maybe someone could help me with charts for; 
-south coast of cuba 
-dominican republic/haiti
-western carribean, coast of colombia up to mexico.

If anyone has these in any kind of picture format that i could print it would be nice, or if you have paper ones that you could send to me (in mexico) maybe we could agree on a price for that. Of course just part of these areas is interesting for me already. Cuba has priority right now, after that, going for dominican, then columbia and back up from there. 

Thank you
edit: oh and sorry mods, i see i must have misclicked the forums. Could you maybe move this post to where it belongs ? thank you.

i copied it..... feel free to delete if you ever happen to visit this forum plz


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## kwaltersmi (Aug 14, 2006)

I've always found NOAA's BookletCharts to be the most printer friendly for home users. You can view printing instructions here.


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## Atlas (Aug 21, 2012)

Are any such charts available for free for other parts of the world?


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## Arjen (Jan 18, 2012)

only usa seems to be available there


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## DonScribner (Jan 9, 2011)

Arjen,

One of the problems you'll find with printed charts is running ink. A few drops and a deep spot in the bay becomes a channel thru a shoal. No so good. I have heard that there are cartographers, probably world wide, that will call up and print the chart in a waterproof format fairly reasonable, probably the cost of a chart before shipping costs. 

Fair WInds!

Don

Maine, USA


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

DonScribner said:


> Arjen,
> 
> One of the problems you'll find with printed charts is running ink. A few drops and a deep spot in the bay becomes a channel thru a shoal. No so good. I have heard that there are cartographers, probably world wide, that will call up and print the chart in a waterproof format fairly reasonable, probably the cost of a chart before shipping costs.
> 
> ...


If you actually use a chart for plotting, erasing the pencil marks may also erase some of the chart. Very bad.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Don, a cartographer is the person who actually draws up an original chart. What you're talking about are authorized resellers, simple merchants, not cartographers in any way. Some inks are more water-resistant than others, and charts can be printed on plastic rather than paper, and the sprayed or laminated as well, if you want them deamnd-printed and water-resistant as well. I have no idea who is offering those extra-cost options or what they'd charge, but compared to setting up a press run and all the costs of regular lithography...Print 'em, let up drip, replace 'em. That's what waterproof vinyl chart pouches are for.


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