Is there a subscription / membership charge?
What is the cost of maps & data?
What scale maps do I need for Planning Applications?
Which Browser can I use?
What are viewing charges?
How do I order a map?
When I try to order I get the message 'Please assign an extent or select items for order item 1'?
Do you offer a printing service?
Where do I apply my Promotional code?
How do I purchase my map?
I've ordered my map online, where is it?
How do I unzip a file?
My PDF isn't opening..?
What if I make a mistake and buy the wrong product or format?
Can I get copies of my invoices/receipts?
How can I see my account statements?
My maps are printing at the wrong scale – what is wrong?
Why isn't my map up to date?
How many copies can I print out under my licence?
Why is there a white border round the downloaded map?
How do I move the pink ‘map area’ box?
I've chosen the wrong paper size. How do I change it?
How do I switch to 'detail view'?
How do I delete (multiple) maps from screen?
Need more help and advice? Contact an expert: maps@blackwells.co.uk • Live chat • 0800 151 2612.
Is there a subscription / membership charge?
No. Blackwell’s is a service that you can use as often or as little as you like that offers upfront, clear & competitive prices.
What is the cost of maps & data?
The real beauty of Blackwell’s is that you are in control. You get to create and download just the maps you need. There isn't a set price as every map is unique in its size. Rest assured we set our prices to be highly competitive.
What scale maps do I need for Planning Applications?
You should refer to the paperwork from your local authority for the scale required. However the most common scales are 1:1250 and 1:500. Visit our Planning Applications page for more details.
Which Browser can I use?
Blackwell’s is an online portal that has been tested & proven to work on the most popular free browsers: Google Chrome - Mozilla Firefox - Apple Safari - Microsoft Edge. NB You can use IE 10 & 11, however Microsoft do not support Internet Explorer anymore, so we recommend you don't use this browser as our website may not work as intended.
What are viewing charges?
Because there is an inherent value in viewing detailed mapping online, there is a small charge when zooming into the detailed mapping. However when you register for the first time, we add a free view credit to your account. In addition, if you go through and purchase your map in the same viewing session, the viewing charge is refunded. This means you might never have to pay any view charges. Read more.
How do I order a map?
Simple... 1. Login 2. Search for your site location 3. Assign the relevant product 4. Define the map area. 5. Order & download. If you just need a simple planning application map, please use our How to guide.
When I try to order my map I get the message 'Please assign an extent or select items for order item 1'. What do I do?
Go to ‘Your Selected Products’ (grey box) on the left of the screen. From the ‘Data Area’ drop-down menu select '1'. Ensuring that a number is visible in the ‘Data Area’ box will allow you to continue with your order.
Do you offer a printing service?
Yes. Contact us with your requirements. We can print black & white or colour, from A4 to A0 sizes. We post to anywhere in the UK or internationally.
Where do I apply my Promotional code?
After selecting 'Order Now', you will see the ordering screen which will prompt you to enter any reference details, change format or apply extra print licenses. To the bottom left of this screen is a small box entitled 'Promotional Code (if you have one)'. Please enter your discount code here, and click 'apply'.
How do I purchase my map?
You can pay by credit or debit card online, or if you are going to be purchasing more than £500 worth of maps annually, you can apply for a Blackwell's credit account via our online form and we can invoice you monthly. Please contact us for more information.
I've ordered my map online, where is it?
Ordered maps are not automatically emailed with your order confirmation. All maps & data is available to be downloaded from your account area. Your last 5 orders will be listed there, or for older orders, click on ‘Orders Placed’. Your orders will be stored for up to a year. Click "Download" and a Zip file containing your data will download to your computer.
How do I unzip a file?
Windows 7 onwards already has unzipping software (simply right-click the zip file and chose "Extract All"). However we also recommend JZip, which is free to download here.
My PDF isn't opening…
You will need to have Adobe Reader software on your Mac or PC to view your map. You download this free here. If you already have Adobe, but you can’t open the file directly from the website, you may need to download software to open the Zip file. How to open zipped files.
What if I make a mistake and buy the wrong product or format?
While some of the products are non-returnable (eg Historical Mapping), we understand that mistakes can happen. If you have downloaded the wrong product or format please contact us. If possible we will exchange or re-supply the item.
Can I get copies of my invoices/receipts?
Yes. Once logged in, click on 'Your Account', then under 'Manage Account', click on 'Invoicing/Payments'. Your invoices/receipts will then be listed and you can download a copy from here. Click on 'view' to see the relative invoice/receipt.
How can I see my account statements?
As long as your mapping account email is correct, we will email you your statement every month. If you are not receiving it, please contact us.
My maps are printing at the wrong scale – what is wrong?
This is usually due to the printer settings. When printing your maps, please ensure you have the following set within your printer preferences, so that your printer does not distort the scale of the plans. In your printer settings:
• Page scaling should be set to none. (The printer usually defaults to “fit to printer/paper margins”.)
• Auto-rotate & centre should be ticked, if applicable.
• “Choose paper source by .pdf page size” should not be ticked, if applicable.
Why isn't my map up to date?
This is usually because Ordnance Survey are due to survey the location, or the area doesn't meet current criteria for surveying. Extensions on houses and some smaller outbuildings/features are no longer surveyed.
The mapping on our website is taken from the latest available data and updated regularly directly from the OS database. If you have a particular concern regarding missing or incorrect data please report this directly to Ordnance Survey, or email OS Customer Services directly at customerservices@os.uk.
How many copies can I print out under licence?
If buying A4 PDF copies of OS mapping, the default is 6 copies for online downloads. For most other products and for files larger than A4, the default is one copy. You can select the number of copies required on the buy page.
For Ordnance Survey paper mapping (PDF), you can buy an annual Paper Map Copying Licence (PMCL) here. This allows you to make as many copies of OS mapping as you wish. This covers you for mapping downloaded through our website or maps obtained from clients.
OS Data (eg DWG/DXF) prices include a 12 month licence that allows you to print as many copies in this time period as required. After the licence expires you shouldn’t be using the data, but you can continue to use the paper copies produced. We can also supply between 1-5 years licences for mapping data, usually at a reduced price. Please contact us for a quote.
Why is there a white border round the downloaded map?
If you select ‘Ground Coverage’ or ‘Shape Extract’ when buying a .pdf the map will automatically extend to the next available ‘A’ size. This can create a white border between the map image and the grid. If you select a paper size and stick to the ‘A’ sizes initially, this will not create a white border round the map.
How do I move the pink 'map area' box?
Click in the centre of the box. A black circle will appear. Place your cursor on the circle (it will turn into a cross), hold down the left mouse button and drag.
I've chosen the wrong paper size. How do I change it?
Click the ‘Define Area’ tab. The ‘Change paper size’ drop-down menu appears under the heading 'Existing Areas'.
How do I switch to 'detail view'?
After you have entered your location, the option for detail view will appear in a pop-up box entitled 'Which mapping would you like to navigate with?'. Upon selecting 'Detail - 365m radius', you will be prompted to add a reference to your order. Once this reference has been entered, you will be able to select 'Go' and switch to detailed view.
All new customers are assigned with a free view credit for any viewing charges incurred, and viewing charges are waived completely if you purchase a product from the area viewed in the same online session.
How do I delete (multiple) maps ‘areas’ from screen?
If you have several boxes on screen and only want to buy one you can easily delete the others. If you have several products listed in the bottom left of the screen you can clear these by clicking the ‘cross’ to the left. While this clears the details, the map areas themselves need to be deleted.
Please click the second tab ‘Define Area’, under ‘Existing Areas’ you will see each box (in the appropriate colour) has its own line. You can select ‘Delete’ from here and the box will clear from the mapping screen.
Please note – if several boxes are on screen and you click ‘Order now’ it will put ALL the selected items onto the ‘Buy’ page.
Need more help and advice? Contact an expert: maps@blackwells.co.uk • Live chat • 0800 151 2612.