Power to the print

Google Maps can help get you where you want to go, but let's face it, you can't be online all the time. Sometimes you really just need a good old-fashioned hard copy, so we're making it easier to print exactly the information you want: text directions, maps for any step, and - for the first time - Street View images.

Printing Directions with More Maps and Street View

Let's drive to a hotel in Tribeca from JFK Airport -- start off by clicking the Print link as usual.

Unfamiliar with the area? You can turn on a full-size overview map for your entire route and specific maps for each step.

Chances are, however, that you don't need that much detail for every single step, so hover directly over each step to turn that map on or off.

And if you follow directions best by using visual cues and landmarks, you can now add Street View images to your printed directions wherever coverage is available. Street View will show you what your step will look like as you approach it. For instance, below at step 14, we're on Chambers Street facing west and the directions tell us to turn right on to Church Street -- and we now have an idea of what that will look like.

You can turn on all available Street View images by selecting the "Street View" option at the top of the page. Or, you can hover over any step to see if Street View is available for that particular location, then click the "Street View" link to turn on the image for that step. If you want more control over the final print-out, simply grab and pan the image to reveal other landmarks - your Street View image will be printed at the viewing angle of your choice.

Printing Street View Directly
Now that we've arrived safely at our hotel, let's head uptown to the Natural History Museum. A printed map of the area with an image of the entrance might help us orient ourselves when we're on the street and away from the computer. Just pan your map over to the museum, and find the entrance in Street View. Click "Print" above the map to open the preview window. Finally, customize the layout to add or remove the map, and pan the Street View image to show exactly what you want. Print, pack and enjoy!

Posted by Andrew Gove and Jonathan Siegel, Software Engineers