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Print a map scale bar

Enter denominator, printed bar width in millimetres, unit and divisions.

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  • Check before download

Print a map scale bar

Enter denominator, printed bar width in millimetres, unit and divisions. Ground metres = width millimetres ÷ 1000 × denominator; exact international foot = 0.3048 m and mile = 1609.344 m. Export vector SVG and physical-size PDF. No map tiles or automatic projection correction; print at 100%.

Synthetic example

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Profile

Print: Liberation Sans, selectable Latin/Greek/Cyrillic where the actual font encodes it; no combining marks, RTL shaping, CJK or emoji guarantee. Unsupported glyphs refuse PDF while original backups remain. Fountain layout is readable proportional 12pt, not certified industry typography. MathML rendering depends on the browser.

Live controls run only while the tab is active. Hiding, leaving or suspending pauses; reset/edit stops the attempt. No background-time, wake, autoplay, camera, microphone or recording promise. Space and arrows work inside the focused prompter.

Limits

30,000 UTF-16 units total; 100 rows, 10 columns/1,000 cells; 50 rehearsal sections; 2,000 math characters, 1,000 nodes/depth32; 40 PDF pages/8MiB output; 2MiB backup; 20s worker. PNG ≤1MiB/1024², static 8bit. Overflow is refused, never silently removed. CSV protects user text beginning with formula-like symbols using an apostrophe; computed numbers stay numeric. The JSON backup preserves the exact original text.

Check dates, finite numbers, row lengths and the named grammar. Shorten overflowing text or change paper; unsupported font/script/logo/grammar is refused. Cancel/reset and retry; preserve your original backup.

All text, contacts, dates and local images stay in this browser. No sending, tracking of content, storage, accounts or automatic URL requests. Download a backup explicitly before closing.

@libpdf/core MIT · Liberation Sans OFL-1.1

How to use

  1. Prepare the input

    Enter the map-scale denominator, the printed bar width in millimeters, the distance unit and the number of divisions. Use the scale of your actual map. This tool doesn't fetch a map or correct a projection.

  2. Try the worked example

    A 100 mm bar at 1:25,000 represents 2,500 m, or 2.5 km. With five divisions, each division represents 0.5 km. Generate, and compare the distance labels and divisions before you download the vector SVG or PDF.

  3. Check and save

    Print at actual size, 100%, and measure the bar itself. The export also includes space for labels, so the whole SVG is wider than the bar you asked for. Check again after you resize it or place it in another document.

Questions

Why does the SVG width exceed 100 mm?

The width you ask for belongs to the scale bar, not the whole drawing. The SVG includes 20 mm of extra horizontal space for labels and margins. Measure the endpoints of the bar, not the outer page.

Can the bar correct a distorted or resized map?

No. A map that is resized after you chose the scale needs a scale adjusted to match. The projection, distortion that depends on latitude and the accuracy of the map remain your responsibility.

Which foot or mile is used?

The international foot is 0.3048 m and the mile is 1609.344 m. Keep the unit you selected next to the printed bar. The tool doesn't guess a local historical survey unit. Inputs and output stay local.

Local PDF sheets use @libpdf/core0.5.1 (MIT) and Liberation Sans. Copyright notice and original license · Original Liberation font license (SIL OFL1.1)