How to Plot a BAM or Custom Size

Table of Contents

A BAM (Biggest Available Map) is the largest item we routinely plot. They are made by plotting a custom size map that is printed in two halves and then stitched together. This section will go over how to plot a custom size map as well as how to plot a BAM.

Choosing a Size #

  • In the “Document Size” dropdown menu, select “User-Defined”. Click “OK”.
  • Click “Custom Paper Size…”.
  1. Click “User-Defined”.
  2. Change “Paper Width” to designated specifications. Typically, a BAM (Biggest Available Map) is 72in x 96in, made from two 36in x 96in posters, glued and taped together. Some teams might request a Mini BAM or an alternate size BAM which may have different dimensions. Always specify sizing ahead of time. For a standard 72in x 96in BAM, input “36” in the “Paper Width” section.
  3. For a standard 72in x 96in BAM, input “96” in the “Paper Height” section.
  4. Click “OK”.

Borderless Printing #

  • Back on the “Properties” screen, check the “Borderless” box for borderless printing. Only do this if the team specifically asks for it, since borderless printing is hard on the plotters.

Poster #

  1. Back on the print dialogue, select “Poster” in “Page Size & Handling”. This will split the BAM into two halves.
  2. Change “Tile Scale” to 195%. This typically works to blow the map up to fill the entire page, however you might have to increase or decrease the scale slightly to ensure the map is filling up the page but not splitting into more than 2 pages.
  3. Change “Overlap” to 1 inch. Typically, this is the amount of overlap between the two halves the team prefers, however, they will specify differently if necessary.
  4. Ensure that the map is being printed in only 2-pages by checking the page count above the preview. If the page number is greater than 2, you may need to reduce the “Tile Scale” a bit.
  5. Click “Print”.