Getting more detailed map images

One of the common questions that we get is how to increase the map details in images obtained through the Print or Share -> PDF/PNG Image menu.
We’ve now added a “Set Scale” option to the image dialog, as shown in the picture below.

Set Scale
Set Scale for map images

As you slide the scale slider to the right, you should get progressively more detailed image for your map. Please note that you have to check the box for “Set Scale” for the scale slider to have any effect on your image. The scale setting is not available for world map images.
As you get more details, the map area covered by the same image size will naturally decrease. So, you might have to increase the image size, using the “Size” option to get more map area. Use one of the standard sizes, or you can also specify a custom size (in inches) using the “Custom” option.
Set a custom size for map image
Set a custom size for map image

As an example, we generated a half-letter map image from the map: Parks in San Francisco, as shown below.
Parks in San Francisco

We wanted a bit more details in the map, so I shifted the scale slider two notches to the right to get another image, which is much more detailed than the previous one. I had to increase the size of the image to Letter from Half-Letter as otherwise the detailed map would not fit.
Detailed view of Parks in San Francisco

Shifting the scale one more notch, we get this image:
More detailed map image for Parks in San Francisco