# 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster Documentation

1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster is a small-scale, digital, raster mapping product giving a regional view, similar in content and appearance to a typical road atlas. It clearly shows the landscape features relevant to its scale, including cities, towns, many villages, motorways, A and B roads, railways, rivers, and some woodlands across Great Britain. You can use 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster to overlay your own geographic or business data, or use it as a standalone map.

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**This product is updated annually in June.**
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<figure><img src="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2FjHJT1Aedl2XGUbihSKlz%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c0caa514-2089-4b8e-b85d-7197848564fd" alt="A representation of 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster map data showing the areas surrounding Bristol and Bath"><figcaption><p>A representation of 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster map data</p></figcaption></figure>

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{% tab title="Benefits" %}
**Easy to manage**

This is a raster (flat image) product, so it's quick to load and simple to use.

**A regional backdrop map**

Motorways and main roads stand out, but you can also see country lanes clearly.

**Clearly see places of interest**

Places of interest, including camping and caravan sites are clearly shown.

**Save money and benefit from simple licensing terms**

1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster is free to view, download and use for commercial, educational and personal purposes.
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{% tab title="Use Cases" %}
**Encourage tourism in your area**

With lots of tourist attractions featured, it’s a great map for your website to help visitors plan days out.

**Enhance a leaflet or sales brochure with a map of your local area**

You can open the files in image editing software and cut out the area you need.

**Additional uses**

1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster product can also aid with:

* Route planning
* Geographic context
* Enhancing data presentation
  {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Summary" %}

* **Access:** Download via the [OS Data Hub](https://osdatahub.os.uk/)
* **Data theme:** Contextual
* **Data structure:** Raster
* **Coverage:** Great Britain
* **Scale:** 1:250 000
* **Format:** TIFF-LZW
* **Tile Count:** 56
* **Ordering area:** All of Great Britain
* **Publication month:** June
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{% tab title="Additional Information" %}
**Colour raster in monochrome**

Colour Raster is not available in monochrome. Some GIS applications let you load the colour image and choose a greyscale option from an on-screen menu. This will change the colours on an image to shades of grey (greyscale). On a true monochrome map, features would be either black or white. This wouldn’t be the best way to display 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster.

**Colour options**

Palette of 256 colours
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## How to get this product

Access to this OS OpenData product is free [through the OS Data Hub](https://osdatahub.os.uk/data/downloads/open/250kScaleColourRaster).

## Sample data

### Visualise 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster sample data online

This product is available to try out free online using one of our three sets of sample data (Exeter, Newport and Inverness) through the OS MasterMap Product Viewer:

<table data-view="cards" data-full-width="false"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>OS MasterMap Product Viewer</strong></td><td>Interactive demonstrator of OS MasterMap Generation data</td><td></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Example image showing OS VectorMap Local product data over an urban area."><a href="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2Fuld7V42IKrB8ovpC1JXB%2FVectorMap-Local-1.png?alt=media&#x26;token=cb3e8ae9-d669-4bc9-b7a7-5f479d780447">VectorMap-Local-1.png</a></td><td><a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/20981dabcb14402687dccb437a4a78fb/">https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/20981dabcb14402687dccb437a4a78fb/</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

## What's next?

To access additional documentation and resources relating to this product, please refer to the following:

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Maps and Imagery Portfolio Products Overview</strong></td><td>This overview contains product information relating to the Maps and Imagery Portfolio products, including available formats, metadata, data compression details, etc.</td><td></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Example image showing 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster product data over a background map."><a href="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2FcHvZCBgamjCjuQw8g4Ez%2F250k-Raster-1.png?alt=media&#x26;token=d4628724-d27c-41ed-93fc-7156a7b5debb">250k-Raster-1.png</a></td><td><a href="maps-and-imagery-fundamentals/maps-and-imagery-products-overview">maps-and-imagery-products-overview</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Overview</strong></td><td>The overview introduces 1:250 000 Scale Colour raster, giving context for all users – highlighting key features, providing examples of uses, and listing details such as coverage, resolution, etc.</td><td></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Example image showing 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster product data over a background map."><a href="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2F3YMGMAJI4ZBKECpgTfCF%2F250k-Raster-2.png?alt=media&#x26;token=b2ac3f51-2887-4e25-84fe-701d5a821528">250k-Raster-2.png</a></td><td><a href="1-250-000-scale-colour-raster/1-250-000-scale-colour-raster-overview">1-250-000-scale-colour-raster-overview</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Maps and Imagery Portfolio Products Technical Specification</strong></td><td>This technical specification provides detailed technical information relating to the Maps and Imagery Portfolio products, including georeferencing information, a glossary and abbreviations used in certain products.</td><td></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Example image showing 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster product data over a background map."><a href="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2FdjMLvZYHHvxvOZdivjjB%2F250k-Raster-3.png?alt=media&#x26;token=9d0ff204-df76-4900-bc3d-9d5d687c07f7">250k-Raster-3.png</a></td><td><a href="maps-and-imagery-fundamentals/maps-and-imagery-products-technical-specification">maps-and-imagery-products-technical-specification</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Technical Specification</strong></td><td>The technical specification provides detailed technical information about 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster. It is targeted at technical users and software developers.</td><td></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Example image showing 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster product data over a background map."><a href="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2FiWIrgyLV2TYLnRMPMDIf%2F250k-Raster-5.png?alt=media&#x26;token=4c027aaf-258b-4538-8932-d24943b094a2">250k-Raster-5.png</a></td><td><a href="1-250-000-scale-colour-raster/1-250-000-scale-colour-raster-technical-specification">1-250-000-scale-colour-raster-technical-specification</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Downloads</strong></td><td>The downloads page provides links and resources to support the application of 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster within your environment.</td><td></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Example image showing 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster product data over a background map."><a href="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2FtuYIcjQ7bVGfFkTm0jTq%2F250k-Raster-4.png?alt=media&#x26;token=7e923daf-714a-400a-8346-6394cd2bb882">250k-Raster-4.png</a></td><td><a href="1-250-000-scale-colour-raster/1-250-000-scale-colour-raster-downloads">1-250-000-scale-colour-raster-downloads</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Ordnance Survey Website</strong></td><td>View 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster product information and find out how to get this product on the OS website.</td><td></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Example image showing 1:250 000 Scale Colour Raster product data over a background map."><a href="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2F2xstr6REgoFR5Wk0cWxW%2F250k-RasterWebSize.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a40e21b0-ec4a-4768-8f2a-801104428ffd">250k-RasterWebSize.png</a></td><td><a href="https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/products/250k-raster">https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/products/250k-raster</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

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New users should start with the Overview to gain high-level insight into the product. The family information documents provide generalised information across all three Colour Raster Map products. The Technical Specification contains detailed technical insights.
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