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Guide

Digital or printed star map: which is better?

Should you buy a star map as a digital file or as a shipped poster? Speed, cost, quality, sizes and gifting abroad compared.

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Short answer

A digital star map is better when you need it fast, live outside the seller's country, want a size or frame of your own, or may print it again; a shipped poster is better when you want no step between ordering and hanging. Quality is the same if the file is 300 dpi at the size you print: Sigastra files are 9,000 px wide, sharp up to 30×40 in (75×100 cm).

Updated 10 November 2026 · Sigastra Gifts

Compared

Speed

Digital files
Minutes
Shipped poster
Days to weeks

Cost

Digital files
Files plus your local print
Shipped poster
Print, frame and shipping in one price

Sizes

Digital files
Any size up to the file's limit
Shipped poster
The seller's sizes

Frames and materials

Digital files
Any: paper, canvas, metal, acrylic, wood
Shipped poster
The seller's options

Gifting abroad

Digital files
Printed in the recipient's country
Shipped poster
International shipping and possible customs

Print again

Digital files
Yes, as often as you like
Shipped poster
Order again

Effort

Digital files
One upload or a visit to a shop
Shipped poster
None

How to judge a digital file

  1. 1Resolution: pixels ÷ 300 = the largest size in inches at full quality.
  2. 2Format: a PNG or PDF that print shops accept.
  3. 3Colour: designed for print, so dark papers stay deep.

On the wall

Real rooms with a real print in them: change the date and the place in the studio and these frames show yours.

A star map in a black frame with a white mat above a linen sofa in a bright living room
A star map in a black frame with a white mat above a linen sofa in a bright living room
Hands lifting a framed star map with the Moon out of its box on a sunlit bed
Hands lifting a framed star map with the Moon out of its box on a sunlit bed

Questions

Anything else? Write to hello@sigastra.gifts.

Yes, if the file is 300 dpi at the size you print and the printer uses good matte paper. That is the same process a poster company uses.

Yes. Print and frame it, have a service deliver it framed to the person, or give the folding 5×7 card from the gift set.

Keep reading

All guides

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Digital vs Printed Star Map: Which Is Better? · Sigastra Gifts