Sometimes you may want to hide certain parts of the map to make more room for logos, control descriptions, or layout elements.
What options are available in OCAD?
#01 Option: White background Symbol In course setting projects, you can use the White background symbol (760.000) as a quick solution. Select the White background symbol in the symbol box and cover parts of the map with white color. However, make sure that you do not cover any course objects (controls, control numbers, connection lines, …), as the withe color that is used in symbol 760 will cover course objects.
#02 Option: Layout Objects Open the Layout menu (Layout>Edit Layout Objects) and add a new white area object. Make sure the white area objects are at the bottom of the object list, if there are other layout elements in the list to not cover them.
#03 Option: Map Objects Define a new white color (Map>Colors>Add) and move it to desired position in the color table (e.g. to the very top). In a second step, create a new area symbol (Symbol>New>Area Symbol) where you use the newly created color as Fill color.
#04 Option: Cut Away Parts of the Map Alternatively, you can cut away parts of the map instead of just cover them. If so, make sure you are working with a copy and not the original map.
Recommendations
It is generally up to you whether you use the options listed above directly in the map file, in the course setting file, or in a layout file.
The scale for an forest orienteering map is 1:15’000 or 10’000 and for sprint maps 1:4’000. What should be done if a course needs to be printed on a special scale rather than the map scale, e.g. 1:7’500 (forest) or 1:4’300 (sprint)?
Scenarios in which the scale of a course differs from the scale of the map
To improve visibility, it is becoming increasingly common to print orienteering courses at different scales. Therefore, certain categories are enlarged to a scale of 1:7’500 (forest orienteering) or 1:3’000 (sprint orienteering).
In order for the entire running area to fit on an A4 paper, the course must be printed on a scale of 1:4’300 instead of 1:4’000. (1:4’300 is not an official scale, but it’s an easy workaround for trainings or smaller competitions so that you don’t have to print on A3 paper or use map flips.)
Best Practice
An orienteering map should be drawn to an official scale. OCAD provides standard symbol sets for forest (1:15’000 and 1:10’000) and sprint orienteering maps (1:4’000).
The course project must be created using the same scale as the map scale. For example, if the map has a scale of 1:10’000, the course project must also be created using a scale of 1:10’000.
If a special print scale is desired, this must be specified during PDF export (menu File > Export) or Printing (menu File > Print)
Examples
#01: The map file has a scale of 1:10’000. The courses are to be printed on a scale of 1:7’500. – Start with a new Course Setting Project in scale 1:10’000 – Open the map file as background map – Set courses – Go to menu File > Export and choose 7’500 as export scale
#02: The map file has a scale of 1:10’000. The courses are to be printed on a scale of 1:7’500, 10’000 and 15’000. – This is a use case for the Canvas function.
#03: In order for the entire running area to fit on an A4 map, the course must be printed on a scale of 1:4’300 instead of 1:4’000. – Create a map in 1:4’000 scale – Start with a new Course Setting Project in scale 1:4’000 – Open the map file as background map – Set courses – Go to menu File > Export and choose 4’300 as export scale
What if you receive a map that has a special map scale, e.g. 1:4’300?
Option A: You leave the map scale at 1:4’300 – Start with a new Course Setting Project in scale 1:4’300 (see screenshot below) – Open the map file as background map – Set courses – Go to menu File > Export and choose 4’300 as export scale
Option B: You convert the map back to 4’000 scale – Open the map in scale 1:4’300 – Menu Map > Change Scale (see screenshot below) and change the map scale to 1:4’000 – Start with a new Course Setting Project in scale 1:4’000 – Open the map file as background map – Set courses – Go to menu File > Export and choose 4’300 as export scale
We interviewed Janne Weckman, one of the World Orienteering Championship mapper in Finland and long-time OCAD partner, to gain insights into his working methods.
The World Orienteering Championships (WOC) took place in Kuopio, Finland from 8-12 July. Together with Timo Joensuu, Janne was responsible for the entire map making work.
Janne, could you start by providing us with some key figures relating to the maps for the 2025 World Orienteering Championship? Timo and I started mapping in 2022. In total, including training maps, the 2024 World Cup maps and the 2025 World Championship maps, we mapped around 50 km2, of which just under 20 km2 were for the World Championships. I estimate 3-4 days of work per square kilometer, which amounts to a total of about 200 working days. Fortunately, it didn’t rain too often, so we made good progress.
What is a typical day in the field like? On a survey day, I spend around eight hours in the field with a short lunch break. I try to be systematic when mapping and plan the route I want to take in advance. This is also important because parking spaces can be hard to find, and good planning helps to avoid walking long distances through areas that have already been mapped.
What equipment do you use? I work with a Panasonic Toughpad and draw the map directly in the field. In addition, I spend up to an hour in the evening optimizing the drawing. This is the most efficient way for me. To determine my position, I use a professional GNSS receiver (CHC i80), which I store in my backpack. This provides me with precise positioning.
Which OCAD feature do you particularly appreciate? I place a lot of value on good map legibility, so once the map is finished, Is use the Check Legibility feature to check the minimum dimensions of objects and the minimum distances between them.
Extract from long distance map. Source: WOC 2025
Were many revisions necessary before the map went to print? Fortunately not. We finished creating the maps last year, and only spent four days in Kuopio this spring updating them. As the World Championship site was a forest reserve, no forestry work was carried out. Apart from a minor storm last year, we mainly updated the maps based on feedback from course setters and officials.
You created the maps together with Timo Joensuu. How did you work together? Timo and I have very similar mapping styles. We therefore divided up the area and each mapped their own part. We checked the critical locations (such as control locations) for each other.
As a professional mapmaker, what advice would you give to amateur cartographers? There are always different opinions about maps, and no map is perfect. However, it is certainly important that cartographers know and apply the ISOM, especially with regard to the legibility of the map. Ultimately, creating good maps requires the same qualities as succeeding in sport: training and passion.
One last question: We can hardly imagine it, but were you nervous before the World Championship races? No, I wasn’t nervous at all. I was also involved in the World Championships as a pre-runner and control setter, so I knew that everything was as good as it could be. And looking back, everything went smoothly.
Janne, thank you very much for your time and your commitment to OCAD.
About Janne Weckman: Janne Weckmann is our long-standing OCAD partner in Finland and assists us with sales and support. The former top orienteering runner works throughout Europe as a professional mapmaker and is known for his generalized and high-quality maps. His club is organizing the Jukola in 2026, with Janne as the map maker, of course.
Note: The term ‘backside’ has been changed to ‘reverse side’.
With the latest OCAD Update the option Use backside for PDF export has been added. This option allows you to export a PDF with two pages for double-sided printing.
In the Define Paper Size function of the Layout menu, there is now a tab to define a frontside and a backside for an extent. If the option Use backside for PDF export is activated in the Backside tab, an extent for the backside can be defined as well. This must have the same paper size (e.g. A4) as the frontside, but can cover a different a map extent.
Exporting double-sided PDF
In the Export dialog, you can then load the double-sided extent to export a PDF with two pages for double-sided printing.
In the Canvas function, you can choose between Frontside, Backside or double-sided if there is an extent with a backside defined. -> Example
Applications for double-sided printing
You can print the course title, start number, relay variant, … on the backside. -> Example
You can add a Map Flip to an orienteering course. This means that the runner has to flip the map to continue the course on the backside. This opens up new advantages and possibilities when setting courses: ○ A course can be printed in A4 format instead of A3. -> Example
○ An (interesting) area can be used several times. -> Example
How to print a double sided PDF?
Open and print the double-sided PDF in Adobe Reader, where you have the possibility to set the option Print on both sides of paper.
At British Orienteering’s Development Conference 2025, we gave an update on the current app development and talked about possible work steps before exporting print PDFs.
