Print Tech Project - Letter to the IOF member federations (2002)
Today probably all orienteering maps are drawn on a computer. New technology has helped making orienteering maps in a faster, cheaper and more precise way. Also digital printing methods, printers and printing papers have developed very much since the beginning of 1990´s. Today the best non-offset printed maps are of almost as high quality as traditional offset printed maps.

IOF Map Commission (MC) has begun a project called PrintTech to gather the latest knowledge about non-offset printing. This letter has been sent to all IOF Federations in order to collect experience from all over the orienteering world.

The first step in the PrintTech project is to collect sample maps and all technical information about them. Also comments and experience on non-offset printing from all national federations of IOF are very welcome.

The MC will then research the material (resolution, colours, water resistance, durability, cold resistance and sensitivity to light etc.) MC will make a report which will be published on IOF Internet pages. The report will contain a list of printers and papers which are of high quality.

The MC is now kindly asking all Federations to take part in this project. Please follow these instructions:
- First of all, this letter with attached papers should be sent forward to the Map Committee of your Federation. If the federation doesn´t have a Map Committee please send this to a person who has good knowledge about orienteering maps in your country
- Then the Map Committee or the person in charge must choose one or maybe more examples of very good or the best non-offset maps in your country.
- The attached form, "Technical Report" should then be filled carefully together with the firm which printed the map. Also information about the costs is very important so that IOF Map Commission can compare those in different countries. You can download the form also from the MC´s home page: address?
- The filled form with six samples of each map should then be sent via mail to Jukka Liikari, address Moisiontie 8 as 5, 21270 Nousiainen, Finland.

If you have printed maps of good quality by more than one system, could you please send the technical report and six sample maps of each.


You don´t have to copy the colour set up table and printing order if you send the map file on CD or in a 3.5" disc. The printed paper version is still needed.
Download the form in PDF format (312 KB), MS Word format (79 KB), RTF format (127 KB).

The MC is kindly asking your federation to send the reports and maps by the end of November 2002.

October 10th, 2002


Jukka Liikari
Member of MC
Project Coordinator
(FIN)