Digital Star Map

Every digital order includes the same six files. The three sizes share a 3:4 ratio, so the design and the text sit identically in each; only the resolution changes.

Why both formats. The PDF is the file to hand to a print shop: it carries its physical dimensions inside it, so a 18 x 24 PDF prints at 18 x 24 without anyone touching a scale setting. The PNG is the file for home printing, phone and tablet wallpapers, photo-book apps, and any service that asks for an image rather than a document. Both are rendered from the same design at the same 300 DPI; neither is a downscaled copy of the other.

Why three sizes rather than one large file. Each size is rendered at its own native resolution, with the text and line weights tuned for that print size. A 12 x 16 print made from the 12 x 16 file looks better than the same print made by shrinking the 24 x 36 file, because the stars and lettering were drawn for that scale.

1. Design the map in the generator and check every detail in the preview: the date, the time, the place, the spelling of names. The files are rendered from what you confirm.
2. Pay $25 at checkout. Apple Pay, Google Pay and cards are accepted.
3. Within minutes, an email arrives with download links for all six files. Save them somewhere you will find them again: a cloud folder is ideal.

There is no account and nothing to remember. If the email is lost, or you change phones next year and want the files back, open the Resend page, enter the address you ordered with, and the links are sent again. The 14-day money-back guarantee applies to digital orders too.

At home. Use the PNG in the 12 x 16 size on a photo or inkjet printer with matte or semi-gloss photo paper. Set the printer to its highest quality, choose the correct paper type, and turn off any "fit to page" or scaling option so it prints at 100%. Most home printers stop at letter or A4, which means a borderless print of the map will be smaller than 12 x 16; that is fine for a desk frame or a small gift.

At a local shop. Staples, Walgreens, CVS, Costco Photo and FedEx Office all print posters and enlargements from a file you upload online or bring on a phone. Upload the PDF in the size you want, choose a matte or semi-gloss finish, and collect it the same day or the next. This is the route for a last-minute gift that still looks finished.

Online. Photo labs such as Mpix, Nations Photo Lab and Shutterfly print posters and fine-art enlargements and ship them to you in a few days. They tend to offer better paper choices than a drugstore counter and are worth the wait when the print is going in a good frame.

The printing guide goes through settings, paper and the mistakes to avoid in detail.

For the dark designs (galaxy, navy, noir, crimson, black disc, duotone), a matte or semi-gloss photo paper keeps the blacks deep and hides fingerprints. A high-gloss finish makes dark backgrounds act like a mirror under room lights. For the pale paper and heart white designs, a smooth matte or a lightly textured fine-art paper suits the quiet tone. If you are choosing between two options at a counter, semi-gloss (sometimes called lustre or satin) is the safe answer for every design.

The digital files are licensed for personal use. In plain terms:

• Allowed: printing at any size, as many times as you like, at home or through any printer or shop; using the map on your own wedding invitations, save-the-dates, thank-you cards and guest books; using it as a wallpaper; giving prints to family and friends.
• Not allowed: selling the file, selling prints or products made from it, or offering it as part of a service.

If you are a stationer or a wedding planner who wants to use maps for clients, contact us and we will find a fair arrangement.

Choose the digital files if the date is soon, if you want to print more than one copy, if you already have a frame, or if you are outside the countries we ship to. Choose the framed print if you would rather it arrive finished, printed and framed, ready to hang, in 7 to 12 business days. Framed prints do not include the digital files; if you want both, order both.