The best custom map prints in the UK, compared

We sell custom map prints, so we are not a neutral party. We have tried to write the page we would want to read before buying one. It compares prices, paper, frames and delivery. It says plainly where another shop is the better buy. Every figure for another shop was read off that shop's own page on the date shown beside it. Where a shop did not show something, the table says so instead of guessing.

What actually differs between map print shops

Most custom map prints come from the same kind of data: OpenStreetMap roads, rivers and buildings, drawn in a colour scheme you choose. So the map itself is rarely where one shop wins. What changes from one shop to the next is everything around it.

• Paper. Where shops say, their paper ranges from 200gsm matte to 275g photo paper. Any of those is fine behind glass. A heavier sheet feels more substantial and sits flatter in a frame. The finish matters as much as the weight: a matte sheet shows no glare on a wall, and a smooth one keeps the hairline streets a map is made of crisp. We print on 240gsm smooth fine-art paper.
• Frames. Frame prices vary far more than print prices. Depending on the shop, a frame adds anything from a few pounds to more than the print itself. Check what the glazing is (glass or perspex), and whether the frame is the same size as the print you chose.
• Delivery. Some shops include delivery on every order. Others include it only above a spending threshold. A cheap print with postage added can cost more than a dearer one delivered free.
• What you see before paying. Most shops show a live preview while you design. What that preview actually shows varies. Some draw it quickly in the browser at low resolution. Others render the real finished artwork, the same file the printer receives. For a gift you can only check once, it is worth knowing which one you are approving.

The comparison

Prices below are what each shop's own page showed on the date given, including any sale it was running that day. Mapiful prices in euros, so we have left them in euros rather than convert them.

Where each shop is the better choice

MapToPoster is one of the cheapest ways to get an A4 or A3 print delivered, with 17 colour themes and sizes up to A0. If you want a large statement print for a big wall, it is a good choice. Its paper is lighter than ours. Its framed A3 costs about the same as our box-framed A3.

Mapiful has the widest range of products. As well as street maps it sells star maps, birth posters and other personalised prints, and it shows more than 2,000 five-star reviews, by its own count. If you are outside the UK and pay in euros, it may suit you better.

Positive Prints is built around gifts. It has many ready-made designs for anniversaries, weddings and births, lots of reviews, and several formats, including canvas and a digital file. If you want a map with a romantic message laid out for you, start there.

Print Frame Co has the lowest starting price we found, prints and frames everything in its own London studio, and can cut a print to any size. If you need an unusual size, or care most about a handmade frame, it is worth a look.

Minimal Wall has the cheapest A3 print on this page, delivered free, and sizes up to A1. It draws every map in one minimal black-and-white style. If that is the look you want, it is hard to beat on price.

My Picture had the cheapest framed prints we found, in sizes up to 60×80cm, on a heavier 275g photo paper. Its prices were shown as a sale, and delivery is free only above a minimum spend, so price the whole basket.

Gallerix prints on 240gsm semi-matte paper, the same weight as ours, in sizes up to 70×100cm, and embosses each print with its seal. Its starting price is low; check which size it applies to.

Where we are the better choice

We are a small UK shop, and we have kept the range narrow on purpose: two sizes, one paper, and two frame styles.

• You see the real artwork before you pay. When you press Preview, our renderer draws your finished print from the same data, at the same zoom, in the same style as the file that goes to the printer. It is not a sketch of it.
• Terrain. Several of our twelve styles shade the hills and draw contour lines, so a map of the Lake District or Snowdonia shows the land's shape, not just its roads. The picture at the top of this page is Yr Wyddfa.
• Your own route. Upload a GPX file from your watch or running app, and we draw the route over the map with its distance and climb.
• Delivery is included. It is included on every order, tracked, to the UK, the US, Australia and most of the EU. There is no minimum spend.
• One good paper for everything. Every print, framed or not, is on 240gsm smooth fine-art paper, heavier than the 200gsm several shops here use.

An A4 print is £24.95, and an A3 is £39.95. A classic frame takes an A3 to £84.95, and a box frame to £99.50. Those prices include delivery.

What we do not do

We do not sell anything larger than A3. We do not print on canvas, and we do not make star maps. If you need any of those, one of the shops above will serve you better. We would rather say so than sell you something that does not fit.

How to choose

1. Decide where it will hang first. An A3 print in a frame is roughly the width of a laptop screen. It suits a hallway, a desk or a shelf. Over a sofa or a bed you probably want A2 or larger, which rules us out.
2. Price the whole order, not the print. Add the frame, add delivery, and check the size of any "from" price. Some shops quote their smallest size.
3. Look closely at the preview before you pay. Zoom in on the streets you care about. Check the spelling of any names, and check the date. A bespoke print cannot be returned for a change of mind anywhere, so the preview is your only proof.

If you would like to see what one of ours looks like, start with this map of Yr Wyddfa and change it to wherever matters to you. Nothing is charged until you have seen the finished artwork and chosen to buy it.

Questions people ask

What is the best paper for a map print?

A smooth, heavy matte paper. Smooth keeps the fine street lines crisp, and a heavier sheet sits flatter in a frame. Shops here range from 200gsm matte to 275g photo paper; we use 240gsm smooth fine-art paper.

Can I return a custom map print?

Not for a change of mind. A print made to your own design is exempt from the usual 14-day cancellation right in the UK, at every shop.

Is a framed map print worth it?

Usually yes for a gift, because it arrives ready to hang. Compare the framed price as a whole, not the print price plus a guess, since framing often costs more than the print.

Do map print shops include delivery?

Some include it on every order, some only above a spending threshold, and some charge for it. Check before comparing prices.