Best Software to print Topo maps to scale?

Caltopo should work for you and there's no cost. It'll definitely print maps as 24k. I don't see why 100k should be a problem but I haven't made an maps with that low of resolution.

I normally create the map as a PDF and send it to my phone as a backup.

You'd think that, given our advanced digital technoloigy, GPS companies could provide printable maps to USGS scales. But NOOOOOO! They have to have a proprietary "scale" that only thjey use.

Obviously this is all in an effort to get you to use only their maps with their GPS units.

Maybe GOOGLE will get on the ball and give us topos in proper scales for a decent price – like free. :o)

+1 for caltopo. They are easily the best online topo mapping tool out there and the maps print to scale.

You can even upload waypoints and tracks into your map, which is a nice bonus.

" However, this seems like a feature that the software should just "do"! "

yikes …
in that even if you are priting someting normal, such as an eps graphic, and you so much as change from one printer to another, one can quickly learn that real life dimesnsions vs printers are two entirely seperate worlds.
you'd be lucky to have a simple square shape print exactly square on an inkjet.
this, in my opnion is The Way Things Are.
and it's not so bad really.

peter's "solution" for Canada is to buy (very reasonably) maps from Yellow Map.com

these give me a file format that i can open in glorious full resolution using Pages (default Mac program like word, but better graphics package .. and vastly cheaper).
now .. pages has a very slick and not altogether well documented ability to scale map graphics at about 0.010" increments. and to tilt them in 0.10* degree amounts. and to select/crop areas with edges with remarkable accuracy. using these three tools, one can open as may maps as one needs too (if you have the ram) and meld them seamlessly together. i print them on legal size Nat Geo adventure paper. this is not as slick as having great map software that allows one to just select an area and melds the edges for you. but it works, and it renders a Very Nice looking result.
it also lets me print the highly detailed 50k maps nice and tight, so i can get more on a page than the rather huge(ish) 50k maps themselves.

i think you are chasing windmills in an effort to print exact physical scale, just so as to have it align with the scale on your compass. i see the logic to it, yes … but suspect you are kind'a going the wrong direction. i mean, a square is a klic (on Canuk maps), ours square is like a mile. but, once you dump lats and longs degrees, we've got the same digital overlay 1k grid.. right ? so if we have 1k to the square, you'll still get a good idea of where you're at, only the physical size of the square will be different.
i print down to the limit of detail i can see when i'm tired.

i hope that helps. good luck !

cheers,
v.

Thanks for the line on "CalTopo" guys! I had not come across that one yet. I'll check it out for sure. Sounds great to me!

I get what you're saying Peter, each printer will have differences and won't be "Exactly" 2,000-feet per inch (for 24k), but the ability to be "close" would be nice. Even printing at 24k then having a +/-% scale option in x and y to get it spot-on doesn't sound unachieavable… I get the feeling that a lot of this software is simply made for GPS exclusive type people who either don't know how to use a compass also, or don't care to anymore. Who knows…

Hey Josh,

The nice thing about Caltopo is that it will print the scale with the map. In theory, if there is any distortion during the printing process, the scale and map should change at the same rate.

I'm used to working with a separate protractor and compass so it isn't a big deal for me to use a 3×5 card or piece of overlay and make a protractor.