LINE MAPS
Free, Printable Maps!
Please enjoy the line maps below for your own mapping adventures! All downloadable files are created at high resolution for best results.
Please note that PNG files may show up black if you view in the browser, because they have been created with transparency. If you right-click on the PNG link and select "Save as...", your PNG will place as black linework and text on whatever background you have.
Most maps have a "no title" version that removes the title and my attribution. I've kept a website link on the no-title version that is easily cropped off, if needed. And speaking of credit, I'd like to acknowledge the use of Natural Earth for all US data and the US Department of State for country boundaries.
I have a long list of maps to add here, so check back regularly. Please let me know (david@pvmaps.com) if you have any questions or if you're looking for a particular printable map that you don't see here!
United States
WORLD
Each World Map Is a Layered PDF
That means you can turn on and off the layers to get the exact map you want!
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When you open the PDF in Adobe Reader or Adobe Acrobat, you'll see icons in a panel on the left.
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Click the icon that looks like two or three stacked squares.
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From there, you'll be able to see the different layers. Those layers are:
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Title
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Notes (the projection and attribution along the bottom)
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Outline (the shape bounding the map content)
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Labels: Ocean
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Labels: Continents
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Labels: Equator and Other Lines (Arctic Circle, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Antarctic Circle)
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Equator and Other Lines (the actual lines, not the labels)
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Country Boundaries
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Land Areas
A Note About Map Projections
Every map of the world is going to cause some distortion in one or more of the following: size, shape, direction, and distance. For more information on map projections, you can reference the presentations I gave at the 2017 LDSHE conference.
Here's a little more detail on each projection below.
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Robinson: a compromise among all the four factors. Nothing is kept perfectly true, but distortions are also minimized. A very common world map projection.
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Miller Cylindrical: a compromise of the Mercator projection. Mercator maintains true shape and direction at the expense of a very large distortion of area toward the poles. Miller Cylindrical lessens the exaggeration of area a bit but also is no longer perfectly true to shape or direction. Popular because it fits a standard piece of paper nicely.
