To make an existing Minecraft map cover more land, place the activated map and one paper in a cartography table, then take the enlarged map. Repeat up to four times. The map’s previous contents reset when you scale it, so explore again with the enlarged map in hand.
Expand a map with a cartography table
- Activate the map: If it is empty, hold it and use it to begin recording the area. An empty map cannot be scaled.
- Open a cartography table: Put the activated map in one slot and one paper in the other.
- Collect the result: Take the zoomed-out map from the output slot. Each use advances it by one scale level.
- Repeat if needed: Add one paper for each additional level, stopping at the fourth zoom-out step.
- Fill in the new map: Hold the enlarged map while exploring. Scaling clears its recorded contents, which must be drawn again.
A locked map cannot be zoomed out. If the scaling recipe is unavailable, check that the map is activated and not locked.
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The map’s coverage grows in both dimensions at every step. The table shows the coverage after each zoom-out and the cumulative paper used from the initial map.
| Zoom-out steps | Coverage | Cartography-table paper total |
|---|---|---|
| 0 (initial) | 128 × 128 blocks | 0 |
| 1 | 256 × 256 blocks | 1 |
| 2 | 512 × 512 blocks | 2 |
| 3 | 1,024 × 1,024 blocks | 3 |
| 4 (maximum) | 2,048 × 2,048 blocks | 4 |
Use a crafting table if you do not have a cartography table
The crafting-table alternative also scales an existing map one level at a time: place the map in the center and surround it with eight paper. Repeat the recipe for each additional zoom-out step. This uses eight paper per step, compared with one paper per step in a cartography table.
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Why a larger map may not cover the area you want
Minecraft maps align to a grid; they are not freely centered on the player. Scaling an existing map increases its coverage but does not reposition its grid to a different region. To map a new area, make a fresh base-level map there and then scale it. Maps at the same scale align, which lets you place neighboring maps together on a map wall.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Edition and version considerations
The recipes and scale details here are described by a community-maintained Minecraft Wiki mirror, not official Mojang documentation. Interface controls and recipe details can vary by edition or version, and these details have not been independently verified for every current release. Check the edition shown on your title screen and consult a current edition-specific guide if the steps differ in your game.
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Source: Map – Minecraft Wiki content mirror.
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