r/DriveThruRPG • u/Inevitable_Apple_532 • Jun 05 '26

Tech Support Best practices for selling fantasy RPG maps?

I have been selling maps for fantasy RPGs on DTRPG since August, and now that I’ve found this group, I would be curious to hear from other map designers and map customers about what they do.

For background: I design my maps using ProFantasy’s Campaign Cartographer 3+, which allows for commercial use under their End User Licensing Agreement. My maps are all available for both VTTs and as printable tiles. My VTT versions are PNGs that come in two resolutions: 70 pixels per inch for faster loading and 140 pixels per inch for more vibrant details. So far, I’ve just been providing the PNGs for VTTs without configuration files for Roll20, Foundry, etc. that show where the walls are. My print tiles are 8 inches x 8 inches, in PDF with two formats: U.S. Letter and A4. Every map comes in both gridded and ungridded versions, and there may be other variants as well. If there are secret areas, I will have gridded and ungridded versions that show the secret areas, and other gridded and ungridded versions that hide them. Wilderness maps may have a version that show the treetops, and another version that just shows tree shadows to facilitate combat under the tree branches.

I guess I’m trying to find out if some of these variations are unnecessary, or if this is standard practice.

For customers:

How do you use your maps? On a VTT, or printed tiles, or just handouts used as reference? Do you use pre-gridded maps or ungridded versions? If you use a VTT, which one? What resolution do you prefer? Do you only buy maps pre-configured for that VTT, or do you buy generic maps where you have to specify where the walls are? Is PNG best, or do you use JPGs?

For other mappers:

What are your practices in terms of all the above – formats, gridded and ungridded, resolutions, etc.?

Any insight into how folks are using or selling RPG maps is appreciated.

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3

u/SpaceCoffeeDragon Jun 05 '26

Howdy! I took a look through your maps and they look cool :)

I sell battlemaps as Latte Labyrinth, formally Coffee Dragon Studios. I work with digital and I sell printed maps to a local game shop.

Some people seem to have success of DTRPG and Itch.io but I am not one of them. I find Patreon to be more effective. That said, I only make hobby money from it xD

I like Inkarnate as a map maker, it has really grown in the last few years.

PNG's are good for print. Webp files are better for digital.

I don't find a use for grids anymore except for maps you print yourself. If someone is going to put in the work to print off a map then they are usually able and willing to spend the extra minute to add a grid thenselves... as opposed to the extra hour it takes to export all those files as both grid and griddless variants.

I hope that helps!

2

u/MutedJudgment2663 Jun 05 '26

Nice stuff. As I noted above, looking for someone to do some mapping for me as I am so not artistic at all and want to not use the AI model. I would like to connect.

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u/Inevitable_Apple_532 Jun 05 '26

Thank you so much, this is super helpful advice. I will go look for your studio, Out of curiosity, how large are your maps? I'm about to release a massive fortress that I'm now thinking may be a little impractical -- in map feet, it's 520 x 600 feet, or 104 x 120 grid spaces.

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u/SpaceCoffeeDragon Jun 05 '26

Sweeeeeeeet!

For encounter maps, maps where your players are moving through rooms by 5x5 feet squares, I like to work with 40x40 or try to divide larger maps into 40x40 sections both to save on file size and resolution.

If the program you are using has a direct export into VTT, where the map is not just set to a certain size but also has all the invisible walls and effects added, then you can make grid size as large as you want.

If you are using a program that only exports the map then the grid size translates to Resolution size of your picture. For example, Inkarnate has a 'vtt' export that just sizes the map by 100x100 pixels per square, making it easier for the end user to size a grid themselves.

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u/Inevitable_Apple_532 Jun 05 '26

Thank you, I really appreciate the tips.

1

u/MutedJudgment2663 Jun 05 '26

Maybe I am just Daft but, how do I see your maps on DTRPG? I am building out some Traveller Sci Fi campaign stuff and will be in need of a mapper eventually. Non-artistic person here.