Geographic Information System

1. Pick "New Layout Window" from the Window pulldown menu. A layout can have one or more frames for each mapper or browser that is open. Layouts are useful for printing browsers as well as large maps. Using the "Tile Windows" command from the Windows pulldown menu is helpful because it allows you to see the source mapper or browser window and the layout window. Refer to chapter 17 of the MapInfo User's Guide for a detailed discussion on working with layouts.
2. Select the correct printer and paper size. From the File pulldown menu select "Page Setup" and pick the "Printer..." button. The large format plotter is the HP 750C. After selecting the desired printer, pick the "Properties" button and set the page orientation (landscape or portrait) and the paper size. You are now ready to do a quick print, or you can proceed to step 2 to use a layout window, which gives you more control over your output.

To create a map layout at a specific scale:

1. Follow steps 1 and 2 above, then;
2. In the layout window, double click on the mapper frame and note the width of the frame object.
3. Switch back to the mapper window and select "Change View" from the Map pulldown window. Set the "Zoom (Window Width)" to layout frame width multiplied by the desired scale in feet. e.g. If your layout frame has a width of 35.5 inches and you want the map to plot at a scale of 1" = 2000'. Then the mapper window width needs to be set to 71,100 feet (35.5 x 2000 = 71,000).

This technique also works when you insert a map into another document (such as a word processing document). Just determine the width of the target window, and then set the MapInfo Mapper window width to the desired scale multiplied by that width.

When an object in a mapper window is selected (or picked), it is highlighted with a red hatch pattern on the screen, however the hatching does not print or plot. The highlighting is just a visual cue which indicates which objects are selected, but it is not a printable component of the map. The following steps explain how to print a hatch selection.

1. Select the object(s) to be hatched.
2. Copy the object(s) (Use either the menu option: Edit > Copy, or + C)
3. Open the Layer Control and make the Cosmetic Layer Editable
4. Paste the object(s) onto the Cosmetic Layer (Use either the menu option: Edit > Paste, or + V)
5. Use the Region Style button to change the style of the object(s).

MapInfo Plotter Setup Tips >