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August 14, 2013 1:50 PM   Subscribe

I would like a large, wall-sized print of the 1931 John B. Sparks histomap, originally printed by Rand McNally. It appears to be out of print - any ideas?

Here is the largest resolution I've seen online.

I'd be open to having this printed or buying it from a publisher, although it seems to be out of print.

If I were to have it printed, what would be the largest size I could print? How would I identify the best printer? This might be preferable, as I'd prefer not to have folds, which all mass-produced maps have.
posted by Dr. Fetish to Media & Arts (6 answers total) 29 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: A professional print shop would be able to print it on a large format printer from roll-fed media - probably 24" - 36" or so wide, by whatever the proportional length of the file...
posted by stenseng at 1:53 PM on August 14, 2013


Best answer: It is listed as available on this paper order form -- apparently that teacher's organization ordered a reprint several years ago.
posted by miyabo at 1:59 PM on August 14, 2013


Best answer: Up through 1999 or so, it was regularly reprinted with the same (or similar) typography, but more current facts, so if the design is the primary draw, any edition from the 20th century would do.

There is a current version with slightly different design, viewable (but not buyable) on Amazon.

I was just doing this same research yesterday, and by following a dead link and making a phone call, I discovered that you can buy the current version from the North American Montessori Teachers' Association for $20, but not on their site-- you'll need to call or email.

EDIT: This blog post also has a contact email for the original author's granddaughter, who had copies for sale in 2006.
posted by 4th number at 2:07 PM on August 14, 2013


Best answer: stenseng has it. A professional print shop is not the same as Kinkos/FedEx Office, though.

Most print shops will use large-format Oce or HP printers, and there really won't be a quality difference between shops. Some smaller ones might not do color; some larger ones will specialize in it. You will most likely be able to specify the type of paper - plain bond (I think 20lb - essentially a really big sheet of copy paper) is what used most of the time, but they'll probably have some sort of "presentation" paper that's heavier. They'll be able to print right from your file and may be able to give you a decent recommendation on what size to go with based on the file resolution. Since they're doing it from rolls, there's not really a specific size limitation beyond the width of the roll (which I think maxes out at 36") for your small dimension. I'd guess you wouldn't want to go bigger than 24" wide just looking at the file.

You'll generally want to look for places with "reprographics" in their business name, although a lot of companies used to do blueprints, so they might still have "blueprint" in their name. You'll likely be charged by the square foot
posted by LionIndex at 2:12 PM on August 14, 2013


Best answer: Here's a higher resolution version than the one hosted on Slate. Both versions have an extra grey border with the text "(C) Cartography Associates, David Rumsey Collection" on the bottom left, and they appear to be the 1931 edition.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:13 PM on August 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Response by poster: These all actually *are* the best answer. Thanks, everyone - we'll look into all of these options!
posted by Dr. Fetish at 2:18 PM on August 14, 2013


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