Coloring a scanned or downloaded outline map

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on September 19, 2008 at 2:10pm

Ok, find a map like this one http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/outlinemaps/states/ Copy it. Open Microsoft Paint, be sure the white "canvas" is big so you can rotate the map. Click control V to paste the map into Paint. This map needed to be rotated. Color the map and save as a jpeg. With some practice you can lable it, too. If you need to crop it then draw a square around the image, and click Control C to cut and open a new Paint window (it'll ask you whether you want to save, say NO) After the new window is open click Control V to paste the cropped map. Save a jpeg. Here it is

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Permalink Reply by Peggy Matthews on September 19, 2008 at 3:03pm

Nice, actually, the teachers at the elementary campus will have their students fill in the colors, but that should be easy enough to teach them.

You are a savior!!

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on September 19, 2008 at 3:30pm

Just use the little paint bucket to fill. Here is a better size---cropped. Have you ever seen the math problem called the Four Color Theorem? It contends that any flat map can be colored with 4 colors and no two areas next to each other will be the same color.

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Permalink Reply by Peggy Matthews on September 19, 2008 at 6:10pm

Thank you....and no, I had never heard of the Four Color Theorem. That is interesting.

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on September 19, 2008 at 6:15pm

You should try it some time with kids and see if they can figure it out. Didn't mean to crop off New England! N.

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Permalink Reply by Peggy Matthews on September 25, 2008 at 5:05pm

Nancy,
When I copy a map from the internet and open it in paint, I am able to fill it in with the paint bucket. When I take a picture with the document camera (ELMO) and save the image the same way, I cannot fill it in with color. Any suggestions?

Thank you,
Peggy

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Permalink Reply by Nancy Bosch on September 25, 2008 at 5:48pm

The camera has taken a picture of the map and the pixels are flattened or merged. I don't know enough to explain technically but there is no fix. It's like all the pixels are glued together, not open waiting to be filled with color. How's that for a high tech explanation!! Maybe someone who actually knows what happens will chime in and give you a more high fallutin' reason. haha. N.

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Permalink Reply by Paul Anderson on September 26, 2008 at 7:35pm

You may be able to trace the lines and recreate the spaces to fill. Haven't tried it on maps, but have done it on photos before. Although it may be easier to find the map somewhere else?

paul

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Permalink Reply by La Vern Stokes on July 9, 2009 at 8:23pm

You can also accomplish this in PowerPoint.
Just insert US map. Right click-group-ungroup. You may have to do this twice because it just separates the map from the shadow the first time you ungroup. Once it is properly ungrouped, click off (outside of pic) so that you don't move anything. Next, click on state you wish to manipulate. Color as desired. If you are using Office 2007, you can do cool things using MS Elements. Very important - You should regroup once done by selecting all-right clicking-regroup. Finally save as a jpeg! You're done
see us map jpg. Notice the states that have been formatted.

Attachments:

• us map.jpg, 44 KB

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Permalink Reply by Peggy Matthews on July 10, 2009 at 7:31am

Wow! That looks awesome. Thank you....I think my teachers will like this way once they get the hang of it.

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