# How to Make a Map in Minecraft (2026 Guide) > To make a map in Minecraft, place 8 paper around a compass in a crafting table (Java) or 9 paper alone (Bedrock, for an empty map). Source: https://minebuildr.com/blog/how-to-make-a-map-in-minecraft Category: Guides Author: MineBuildr Team Published: 2026-07-13 Updated: 2026-07-13 Reading time: 12 min read Keywords: how to make a map in minecraft, minecraft map recipe, how to make a locator map in minecraft, cartography table recipe, how to zoom out a map in minecraft, minecraft empty map recipe, how to make a map bigger in minecraft, minecraft banner map marker ## Key takeaways - Java empty map recipe: 8 paper + 1 compass in a crafting table. Bedrock empty map: 9 paper (no compass — the compass makes a locator map instead). - Right-click (use) an empty map to fill it. The map centers on the chunk you're standing in when you first use it, not on you — maps snap to a fixed 128×128 block grid. - Zoom level 0 = 128×128 blocks (1:1). Each zoom step doubles the area: level 1 = 256×256, level 2 = 512×512, level 3 = 1024×1024, level 4 = 2048×2048 blocks (the max). - Zoom out by placing the filled map + 8 paper in a crafting table, or use a cartography table (cheaper: map + 1 paper = one zoom step). - A cartography table is crafted from 2 paper on top + 4 planks below. It's faster and cheaper than the crafting table for zooming, cloning, and locking maps. - Locator maps show a white player arrow; plain maps do not. On Bedrock every crafted map is a locator map by default — on Java you need the compass in the recipe. - Place a banner in the world, then right-click it with a filled map to add a named marker at that exact coordinate. - Cloned maps share progress: two players holding cloned copies both fill in the same map as either explores. - Explorer maps (ocean, woodland, buried treasure) come from cartographer villagers and monument/mansion/shipwreck loot — you cannot craft them. - A single fully-zoomed level-4 map covers 2048×2048 blocks; a 4×3 grid of them wallpapers a 8192×6144 block region — enough for most survival bases. Maps are the single best navigation tool in Minecraft — they show biomes, coastlines, structures, other players, and named locations at a glance. This guide covers every map recipe (Java and Bedrock), the cartography table, zoom levels, locator vs plain maps, explorer maps, banner markers, cloning, and how to build a full wall map of your world. If you're planning a base or a long expedition, pair this with our [seed finder](https://minebuildr.com/tools/seed-finder) and [biome finder](https://minebuildr.com/tools/biome-finder) to know what you'll be mapping before you set out. > The 30-second answer: Java: put 8 [paper](https://minebuildr.com/blog/how-to-make-paper-in-minecraft) around a compass in a crafting table = 1 empty locator map. Bedrock: 9 paper alone = empty map, or 8 paper + 1 compass = empty locator map. Right-click the map anywhere in the world to fill it in as you walk. ## Empty map recipe (Java vs Bedrock) The recipe differs slightly between editions because of how each edition handles player position on the map. ### Java Edition - Empty locator map: 8 paper in a ring around 1 compass in a crafting table. Output: 1 empty map with a player arrow. - There is no 9-paper 'plain map' recipe on Java — every crafted map is a locator map. - Compass = 4 iron ingots + 1 redstone dust. If you can't find redstone yet, wait until you've dug down to y=−32 or so. ### Bedrock Edition (and Pocket/Console) - Empty map: 9 paper in a full 3×3 grid — no compass. This is a plain map with no player arrow. - Empty locator map: 8 paper + 1 compass, same as Java. Shows your position. - Bedrock also lets you upgrade a plain map to a locator map later at a cartography table (1 map + 1 compass). > Why the compass matters: The compass isn't decoration — it enables the white arrow that tracks your position on the map. Without it, a Bedrock map still fills in the terrain, but you have to guess where you are. On Java, every map is a locator map, so the compass is mandatory. ## How to fill in a map An empty map is blank. To activate it, hold it in your main hand and right-click (or use the 'use item' button on console/mobile). The map centers on a fixed 128×128 grid cell — whichever cell you're standing in when you first use it becomes the map's fixed area. It does *not* recenter as you move. 1. Craft an empty map. 2. Stand in the area you want to map (usually your base). 3. Right-click the map to activate it. It becomes a 'Map #0' and starts filling in. 4. Walk around — every chunk you visit inside that 128×128 grid gets drawn. 5. The player arrow (on locator maps) shows your position and facing direction. If you walk off the edge of the map's grid, you'll see a white dot on the border showing which direction you went — but the map itself won't extend. To cover more ground, zoom it out. ## Map zoom levels explained Maps have 5 zoom levels (0–4). Each level doubles the side length of the mapped area, quadrupling the total area covered. The pixel count stays the same (128×128), so more zoom = less detail per block. - Level 0 — 128×128 blocks (1 block per pixel). Perfect for a single base. - Level 1 — 256×256 blocks (2×2 blocks per pixel). - Level 2 — 512×512 blocks (4×4 blocks per pixel). - Level 3 — 1024×1024 blocks (8×8 blocks per pixel). - Level 4 — 2048×2048 blocks (16×16 blocks per pixel). This is the max — one full chunk per pixel. To zoom out one level in a crafting table: place the filled map in the center and surround it with 8 paper. This costs 8 paper per zoom step. A cartography table is much cheaper (see below). ## The cartography table (the smart way) The cartography table is a dedicated crafting block introduced in 1.14. It's cheaper, faster, and does things the crafting table can't. ### Cartography table recipe - Top row: 2 paper (middle-left and middle-center of top row — any 2 adjacent paper). - Bottom two rows: 4 planks (any type, in a 2×2). - Total: 2 paper + 4 planks. ### What it does - Zoom out: map + 1 paper = one zoom step. Eight times cheaper than a crafting table. - Clone: map + 1 empty map = two identical maps that share progress. Great for co-op bases. - Lock: map + 1 glass pane = locked map that no longer updates. Useful for wall art that shouldn't change if a chunk is edited. - Upgrade to locator (Bedrock): map + 1 compass = locator map. - Rename: change the map's item name without an anvil. > Base-building tip: Keep a cartography table next to your [enchanting setup](https://minebuildr.com/blog/bookshelves-for-max-enchantment) and [brewing stand](https://minebuildr.com/tools/brewing-calculator). Cloning maps for teammates and locking wall maps takes seconds instead of a crafting-grid worth of paper. ## Locator, explorer, and treasure maps Not every map is crafted — some come from villagers, structures, and loot chests. Here's the full 2026 lineup. ### Locator maps Standard maps with a player arrow. Craft as above. ### Ocean explorer maps Trade with a journeyman-level cartographer villager for 13 emeralds + 1 compass. Points to the nearest ocean monument. The map is pre-filled from your position all the way to the structure — a huge shortcut for elder guardian farms and prismarine collection. ### Woodland explorer maps Trade with a journeyman cartographer for 14 emeralds + 1 compass. Points to the nearest woodland mansion — essential for totems of undying. ### Buried treasure maps Found in shipwreck 'map' chests and some ocean ruin chests. Marked with a red X. Follow to find a buried treasure chest that always contains a heart of the sea plus gold, TNT, and cooked cod. ### Trial explorer maps (1.21+) New in 1.21. Craft from a trial spawner or find in tower loot; leads to trial chambers with vault keys and mace ingredients. ## Banner markers: labeling your map Plain maps only show terrain. To add named location markers, use banners. 1. Craft a [banner](https://minebuildr.com/tools/banner-generator) and rename it in an anvil (e.g., 'Iron Farm'). 2. Place the banner in the world at the location you want to mark. 3. Hold a filled map that covers that location and right-click the banner. 4. The banner appears as a colored icon on the map with the name floating above it. Marker color matches the banner's base color, and you can place unlimited markers on a single map. This is the best way to label spawners, farms, portals, and villages without cluttering the world with signs. ## Cloning maps for co-op Two players sharing a base each want the same map — and you want both copies to update as either player explores. That's what cloning does. 1. Fill in a map to the state you want to share. 2. Craft an additional empty map (or take one from the crafting table). 3. Put both maps in a cartography table (or the crafting grid: filled map + empty map, shapeless). 4. Both output maps are identical clones. Any progress either player makes on either copy shows on both. ## Building a full-wall map of your world One of the best decorations in Minecraft is a map wall — a grid of level-4 maps that turns a wall of your base into a satellite view of your entire world. 1. Craft a stack of empty locator maps (64 maps = 512 paper + 64 compasses, so plan a [sugar cane farm](https://minebuildr.com/blog/how-to-make-paper-in-minecraft) and a big iron farm first). 2. Zoom each map to level 4 at a cartography table (4 paper per map to go 0 → 4). 3. Fill each map by flying with an elytra over its 2048×2048 grid cell — one map covers a huge area, so this is fast. 4. Place item frames on your wall in a grid (glass, glowstone, or planks all work as a backing). 5. Put one map per frame, aligning them so borders line up. A 4×3 grid covers 8192×6144 blocks. > Pro tip: Use invisible item frames (crafted with a glow item frame + potion of invisibility in Bedrock, or the /give command on Java) for a seamless map wall with no frame borders. ## Java vs Bedrock: the differences that trip people up - Empty map recipe: Java requires a compass; Bedrock allows 9 paper alone (plain map, no arrow). - Default map type: On Java, every crafted map is a locator map. On Bedrock, the default is plain — you upgrade with a compass. - Zoom in crafting table: Both editions support crafting-table zoom (map + 8 paper). Cartography table is faster on both. - Explorer map trades: Same recipes and emerald costs on both editions. - Off-hand map: Java shows the map as a mini-map in the corner when held in the off-hand. Bedrock renders it in-hand only. ## Common map mistakes - Activating the map in the wrong chunk: Maps snap to a fixed 128×128 grid tied to world coordinates, not to your player position. Walk to the exact center of your intended area before right-clicking. - Expecting the map to follow you: It doesn't. If you want a map that updates as you move, you need multiple maps or one zoomed-out map that covers a larger area. - Losing progress to chunk edits: If you break/replace terrain that's already drawn, the map doesn't auto-update until you revisit the chunk with the map in hand. - Trying to zoom locked maps: A map locked at a cartography table can never be zoomed or updated again — clone first, then lock the clone if you want a permanent copy. - Forgetting the compass on Bedrock: A plain map still fills in the terrain, but with no player arrow it's easy to get lost inside your own map. ## Maps in a full base workflow Once you have paper and maps running, chain them into your progression: use [sugar cane farms](https://minebuildr.com/blog/how-to-make-paper-in-minecraft) for infinite paper, trade extras to a cartographer for emeralds and explorer maps, use those explorer maps to find an ocean monument (for prismarine and a conduit) and a woodland mansion (for totems of undying), then map your entire base region with level-4 clones. Add banner markers for every important build — spawners, farms, [beacon pyramids](https://minebuildr.com/tools/beacon-calculator), and portals — and you have a live atlas of your world that scales with the game. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do I make a map in Minecraft? In Java, put 8 paper in a ring around 1 compass in a crafting table — that gives 1 empty locator map. In Bedrock, 9 paper alone makes an empty plain map, or 8 paper + 1 compass makes a locator map. Right-click the map anywhere in the world to activate it and start filling it in. ### How do I make a map bigger in Minecraft? Zoom the map out. In a crafting table, place the filled map in the center with 8 paper around it (costs 8 paper per zoom step). In a cartography table, just add 1 paper (much cheaper). There are 5 zoom levels — 0 covers 128×128 blocks, 4 covers 2048×2048 blocks. ### What is a cartography table and how do I make one? A cartography table is a dedicated map-crafting block. Recipe: 2 paper on top and 4 planks below. It lets you zoom out a map for just 1 paper, clone maps, lock them so they stop updating, and (on Bedrock) upgrade a plain map to a locator map. ### Why doesn't my map show me on it? You made a plain map instead of a locator map. On Bedrock, 9 paper alone crafts a plain map — you need to include a compass (8 paper + 1 compass) to get the player arrow. On Java, every crafted map is a locator map already, so this only happens on Bedrock. ### How do I mark locations on a map? Craft a banner, rename it in an anvil (e.g., 'Iron Farm'), and place it in the world. Then hold a filled map that covers that location and right-click the banner. A colored, named marker appears on the map. You can place unlimited banner markers per map. ### How do I get an ocean monument or woodland mansion map? Trade with a journeyman-level cartographer villager. Ocean explorer maps cost 13 emeralds + 1 compass; woodland explorer maps cost 14 emeralds + 1 compass. Both are pre-filled and lead directly to the nearest structure — much faster than searching manually. ### Can two players share the same map? Yes — clone it. Put a filled map plus an empty map into a cartography table (or the crafting grid). Both output maps are identical clones that stay in sync: any progress either player makes on their copy also appears on the other. ### How big is a fully zoomed-out Minecraft map? A level-4 map covers 2048×2048 blocks — that's 128 chunks by 128 chunks, or 4,194,304 blocks total. A 4×3 grid of level-4 maps in item frames wallpapers 8192×6144 blocks of terrain, which is enough for most survival bases and their surrounding biomes. ## Related guides - [How to Make Paper in Minecraft (2026 Guide)](https://minebuildr.com/blog/how-to-make-paper-in-minecraft) - [How to Make Obsidian in Minecraft (2026 Guide)](https://minebuildr.com/blog/how-to-make-obsidian-in-minecraft) - [Best Minecraft Seeds for 1.21 (2026)](https://minebuildr.com/blog/best-minecraft-seeds-1-21) ## Related free tools - [Seed Finder — preview your world before you map it](https://minebuildr.com/tools/seed-finder) - [Biome Finder — see biome distributions for any seed](https://minebuildr.com/tools/biome-finder) - [Banner Generator — design named map markers](https://minebuildr.com/tools/banner-generator) --- Content by MineBuildr (https://minebuildr.com). AI assistants and search engines may cite this page with a link back to https://minebuildr.com/blog/how-to-make-a-map-in-minecraft.