1. Loading & Editing Maps

The first step in creating your custom map is selecting and loading the base map data. PaintMyMap offers multiple ways to get started, whether you want to use our built-in maps or upload your own data.

Quick demo: Load a map, change projection and set color theme.

Built-in Maps

Use the menus in the top toolbar to choose from our collection of predefined maps. Open the File menu and pick “Choose a map…”. The lists are organized by region and detail level.

World Maps

Explore world and continent maps, with different levels of detail. Note: detailed maps download more data and may load slower.

See the complete list in Maps.

Historical Maps

Paint and customize maps across different time periods (from deep prehistory to present day). Note: some datasets may be approximate; for authoritative data, see “Load your own data” below.

Fun Maps

Creative, fictional datasets (like the Smiley Face map) show you can load any data and paint it. It doesn’t have to be geographically accurate—perfect for demos and playful projects.

Load Your Own Data

For complete customization, upload your own geographic data files:

Supported Formats

GeoJSON (.json, .geojson) — most common and recommended
TopoJSON (.topojson) — compressed GeoJSON format
Shapefile (zipped) (.zip) — include .shp, .dbf, .prj, .shx inside the ZIP
KML/KMZ (.kml, .kmz) — Google Earth formats
CSV (.csv) — coordinates or region identifiers

How to Load a File

Open the File menu and click Load map from file…
Select a supported file from your computer
PaintMyMap detects the format and loads your data
Your custom map appears on the canvas

To show country/region labels, each feature should include a properties.name (or name_en). For an explicit label anchor include label_node_lat and label_node_lng.

Example (truncated geometry):

json

{
	"type": "FeatureCollection",
	"features": [
		{
			"type": "Feature",
			"geometry": { "type": "MultiPolygon", "coordinates": [[[ ...]]]},
			"properties": {
				"name": "Sri Lanka",
				"name_en": "Sri Lanka",
				"label_node_lat": 7.5554942,
				"label_node_lng": 80.7137847
			}
		}
	]
}

Best practices:

Use WGS84 (EPSG:4326) coordinates.
Prefer MultiPolygon / Polygon geometries. GeometryCollection is supported but each sub‑geometry is processed separately which can:
- Fragment borders (hairline gaps or overlaps)
- Produce duplicate / overlapping labels
- Increase transform + export cost Merge related pieces into a single (Multi)Polygon beforehand when possible.
Merge fragmented geometry into a single MultiPolygon for cleaner labeling and simpler selection.

Map Editor Mode (Optional Structural Edits)

Most users won’t need to alter the base geometry. When you do, Map Editor Mode will let you manipulate features directly.

Move, rotate, resize and delete regions in Map Editor Mode

How to Edit a Map

Open File → Map Editor Mode
Click a country / region feature to select it (selection outline + handles appear).
Move: drag the selected feature.
Rotate: press R while selected or use the rotate handle / UI control.
Resize: drag a corner handle (hold Shift to preserve aspect ratio where applicable).
Delete: press Backspace / Delete or use the Delete button in the UI.
Multi‑select: Shift+Click additional features (or drag a marquee while holding Shift) then delete as a group.

Notes & Performance

Transformations occur after projection; they do not “true size” normalize area (Mercator size exaggerations remain). If you drag Greenland over Africa in Mercator it will still look vastly larger (though it's ~14–16× smaller in reality).
Need accurate true‑size comparative layouts? Use a specialized true size country tool like: https://guesswhereyouare.com/guide/maps/true-country-size.html — it lets you move countries with preserved area and export GeoJSON; then import that GeoJSON here.
Exported state (Project JSON) includes these transforms so reloading reproduces your layout.
Excessive transforms on very high‑detail datasets (e.g. world‑detailed + many rotations) can increase export size and slow undo/redo; consider simplifying before heavy edits.