# 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster Documentation

1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster is the digital alternative to Ordnance Survey's OS Landranger paper map series for Great Britain available in 20km square tiles.

{% hint style="info" %}
**This product is updated quarterly in March, June, September and December.**
{% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2FOPHSvYggYp3KU5rNIgyy%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=661fd5b8-6329-46f2-839d-29875fdb0c2e" alt="1:50000 Scale Colour Raster map example showing a mountainous region in Scotland"><figcaption><p>1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster map example</p></figcaption></figure>

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Benefits" %}
**Retina resolution**

We give you 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster at a resolution of 254 dpi – and OS Partners at a staggering 660 dpi – so it looks stunning on today’s high-resolution displays, whether on desktop, tablet or mobile.

**Clearly see places of interest**

Tourist and heritage attractions of many types are shown on this mapping, so leisure app users can use it to find their way by road, footpath or cycle route to a place of interest, whether it’s a sports centre or a nature reserve.

**Ideal for desktop publishing**

When you need map extracts for a consultation document or a published magazine, you can open 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster TIFF files in software like Photoshop and InDesign.
{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Use Cases" %}
**Enables a faster response to critical situations by Emergency Services**

1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster helps emergency control centre staff respond more effectively to calls. Using clearly shown landmarks, they can ask distressed callers if they can see the local pub or church, to pinpoint incident locations quickly.

**Helps local planners identify sites**

This map helps you spot brownfield sites ripe for development, and analyse the quality of local transport links. Railways and important roads are clearly colour-coded.

**Allows easy identification of places of interest for tourists**

Tourist and heritage attractions of many types are shown on this mapping, so leisure app users can use it to find their way by road, footpath or cycle route to a place of interest, whether it’s a sports centre or a nature reserve.

**Helpful mapping tool for walkers and cyclists**

1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster is a must-have map in **any navigation app or device** for walkers and cyclists. It depicts the landscape with superb detail and clarity.

**Additional uses**

1:50 000 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:** 1:50 000
* **Format:** GeoTIFF, TIFF-LZW, TIFF-Uncompressed
* **Tile count:** 820 (582 sea tiles)
* **Ordering area**: Customisable Area (20km² tiles)
* **Publication months:** March, June, September, December
  {% endtab %}

{% tab title="Additional Information" %}
**Defining your own areas**

You can order 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster by user-defined areas:

* Specific tile identities
* Administrative region
* Bounding box

It's also available covering:

* Great Britain
* England
* Scotland
* Wales

Tiles are, however, supplied whole rather than being clipped to fit geographic areas.

**Colour options**

Palette of 256 colours

**Converting to a monochrome image**

Some software packages have a facility whereby you can load the colour image onto a computer and, using one of the command drop-down menus, select the greyscale option. This will change the colours on an image to shades of grey (greyscale). This is not the same output as monochrome where features in the file are either black or white.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## How to get this product

Access to this product is free for PSGA (Public Sector Geospatial Agreement) Members. You can [check if your organisation is a member of the PSGA on the OS website](https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/customers/public-sector/psga-member-finder).

The [1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster product page on the OS website](https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/products/50k-raster#get) has advice on how to get the product for developers, businesses, OS Partners and PSGA Members (i.e. government and the public sector).

Alternatively, you can try out the full product for free for six months by applying for [a Data Exploration licence](https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/licensing/data-exploration-licence); this licence is primarily designed for organisations either considering becoming an OS Partner or who want to trial OS Premium data before working with an existing OS Partner.

## Sample data

### Download 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster sample data <a href="#download-os-egs-sample-data" id="download-os-egs-sample-data"></a>

You can download sample data for the product for free from the [OS Data Hub](https://osdatahub.os.uk/data/downloads/sample/50kScaleColourRaster). The sample data are available in GeoTIFF format and cover three areas (Exeter, Newport and Inverness).

### Visualise 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster 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 1:50 000 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%2FaPvH8AN3nmYof4ozGPLC%2F50k-Raster-(Landranger)-2.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a090edc5-35c8-4938-8834-91dc34ca0fe8">50k-Raster-(Landranger)-2.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 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster and gives context for all users – highlighting key features, giving potential uses, and listing details such as coverage, currency, etc.</td><td></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Example image showing 1:50 000 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%2FDzCOjunkRQ4UNVuieym7%2F50k-Raster-(Landranger)-1.png?alt=media&#x26;token=8a8d5b5e-79ba-4608-979e-9feefcd64179">50k-Raster-(Landranger)-1.png</a></td><td><a href="1-50-000-scale-colour-raster/1-50-000-scale-colour-raster-overview">1-50-000-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 1:50 000 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%2F5rwr0gSoF82oBE4o1xXu%2F50k-Raster-(Landranger)-3.png?alt=media&#x26;token=e2e88198-10b2-45d4-99e9-14015f514cd3">50k-Raster-(Landranger)-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 the 1:50 000 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 1:50 000 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%2F4nxe16PK0sUtnTgaQIbx%2F50k-Raster-(Landranger)-4.png?alt=media&#x26;token=13137636-19db-4ab4-a93b-ce2ad9b9978f">50k-Raster-(Landranger)-4.png</a></td><td><a href="1-50-000-scale-colour-raster/1-50-000-scale-colour-raster-technical-specification">1-50-000-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 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster within your environment.</td><td></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Example image showing 1:50 000 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%2FpioZC6BgcA4sRKgxckBG%2F50k-Raster-(Landranger)-5.png?alt=media&#x26;token=e5a286b5-8b74-426e-9283-a095d4f7386f">50k-Raster-(Landranger)-5.png</a></td><td><a href="1-50-000-scale-colour-raster/1-50-000-scale-colour-raster-downloads">1-50-000-scale-colour-raster-downloads</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Ordnance Survey Website</strong></td><td>View 1:50 000 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 view of the 1:50 000 Scale Colour Raster product showing a map depicting an area of coastline."><a href="https://1897589978-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FcNpJpLP8RROUaWVQo5ea%2Fuploads%2F4nxe16PK0sUtnTgaQIbx%2F50k-Raster-(Landranger)-4.png?alt=media&#x26;token=13137636-19db-4ab4-a93b-ce2ad9b9978f">50k-Raster-(Landranger)-4.png</a></td><td><a href="https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/products/50k-raster">https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/products/50k-raster</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
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.
{% endhint %}