For the map books, the previous map size was half of an A4 page, and the maps were always orientated so that straight up was north. The standard map size is now 1/3rd of an A4 page, and the map is orientated so that the rail line goes from left to right. This is a much more compact format that has resulted in significantly fewer pages in map books. If you have seen the size of the Northland maps that was the first map book we produced with about 130 pages, compared to the size of the Nelson maps that came out recently with the new format, the page count has been knocked back massively. In order to address where needed a bigger size of map within that format there is also the option of having maps that occupy 2/3rds of a page or a full page where needed.
For the online map tiles, whereas the format up to now has been A4 landscape, we have sought to address the difference in screen aspect ratio by changing the size to 16:9 which is more relevant to today's widescreen devices. For putting two maps side by side, an 8:9 format has also been developed. These two online formats will start making an appearance in future uploads and blog postings. In particular the new Cromwell Gorge maps will use a side by side online format for comparing the historical and present day aerial photography.
