Minecraft: Here’s How To Zoom in on a Map (Java & Bedrock)

In Minecraft, we have plenty of ways to manage our way in the vast world that is generated when we start playing. There are compasses, coordinates using the debug screen, teleportation, and maps. Out of the four methods, maps might likely be the easiest way not to get lost because they offer a visual view of the world. It’s no secret that these maps are small and easy to mess up if you don’t know what you’re doing, so how do you zoom in on a Minecraft map?

How do you zoom out on a map in Minecraft?

To zoom in on a Minecraft map, you’ll need to acquire a cartography table, open its grid, and place a map you’d like to zoom in on and a sheet of paper. Before you take it out, you’ll see how much bigger the map will get compared to how big it was. When you’re doing this, make sure to use a locator map.

Zooming out on a map is the same for Java Edition and Bedrock Edition Minecraft, but you can use more than just the cartography table. You can also use an Anvil and Crafting Table (but only in Bedrock Edition Minecraft). Still, aside from the fact that an Anvil is more expensive to make as it uses a lot of iron ingots, it also costs one enchantment level to zoom it out.

So, since the cheapest way to zoom out on a map in Minecraft is using a cartography table, how precisely do you make one and use its interface to zoom out on a map? The Cartography table can be made using four planks of any wood and two pieces of paper. You’ll arrange the planks in a square-like fashion and place the two pieces of paper on top.

Once you have the cartography table, place it down and open its interface. You’ll get a bottom and up slot on the left, a map interface in the middle, and another slot on the right. You’ll place the map in the top slot and the empty paper in the bottom slot. The map interface will show you how much the map will zoom out, and you can take it out of the right slot.

How do I zoom in and out on a map in Minecraft?

Since zooming out on a map has already been explained, it’s time to get into the details of how to zoom in on a map in Minecraft. Often, with zooming out on a map, players will realize that they can’t see their banner markers anymore or the map is simply too vast for them to explore the area and write it out, so it would be great if you could zoom out this map, right?

Sadly, you can’t, but there are ways to get around this. Maps in Minecraft aren’t made according to where you’re standing, but rather, they’re already preset areas, so as long as you don’t leave one area and cross into the other, you’ll always get the same map when you make a new one in the cartography table. Then, you can revert the mistake you made by zooming out.

Maps in Minecraft can be zoomed out four times, so let’s see the differences in tiers of maps so you can better understand how big of an area each map shows you.

The five tiers of Minecraft maps

Tier 0 – Tier 0 is the first map size you’ll get when you make a map. This type of map is likely the best since it allows you to see the banners you place to mark important spots, and each pixel of the map is equal to precisely one block, so it’s easy to read. The map shows a 128×128 block area. These maps are great for making pixel art and base plans, and it’s easy to tell apart every block.

1st tier – The first zoom-out tier makes a map that covers an area of 256×256 blocks. They are great for making sense of what surrounds your base in case you want it to be in an area where plenty of biomes and resources are readily available, and the smallest things you can discern are trees and paths.

2nd tier – The 2nd tier covers an area of 512×512. This is the map size where players begin realizing their mistakes when zooming out because the smallest features you can recognize are lakes and buildings. It’s great for structure mapping, but one map pixel represents 4×4 blocks.

3rd tier – The 3rd tier of map zoom out is why I always recommend making a locator map in Minecraft. It’s big enough for you to get lost when trying to explore the area to write the map out, so it would be wise to remember the spot where you started (if that spot is your base) and go out, making sure to check the map every once in a while. The map is best used for landscape mapping; the smallest discernible features are mountains and rivers.

4th tier – Good luck filling out the 4th tier map zoom-out. One map pixel equals one chunk or 16×16 blocks. Mountain ranges and biomes are the areas you’ll be able to differentiate and are used for mapping out biomes, so if you’re looking for a specific one, these are the maps to use.

Differences in maps: Java VS Bedrock

The only difference in maps between Java and Bedrock Edition is the ways you can zoom in on maps (in Bedrock Edition, you can also zoom out using a Crafting Table and Anvil, whereas, in Java, it’s only available using a Cartography table). Another difference is that in Bedrock Edition, you’ll need to use a lot more paper to zoom out if using an Anvil or Crafting table. A total of 8 pieces of paper will be used for each tie of zooming out.

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