How to Make a Cartography Table in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft a cartography table with 2 paper on top of 4 planks: paper in the two top slots and a 2x2 square of planks below it. It clones, zooms out, and locks maps, and it is the cartographer villager's job site block.

What you need

2 paper (from 2 sugar cane)
4 planks of any wood type

Step by step

Craft paper: place 3 sugar cane in a row to get 3 paper.
Turn logs into 4 planks of any wood type.
Open the crafting table.
Place 1 paper in each of the two top-left slots, side by side.
Fill the 2x2 area directly below the paper with 4 planks.
Take the cartography table.
Use it with a map plus paper to zoom the map out (up to 4 times), a map plus an empty map to clone it, or a map plus a glass pane to lock it. Place one near an unemployed villager to create a cartographer.

Java vs Bedrock

The cartography table works the same in Java and Bedrock and was added in 1.14. A locked map (map plus glass pane) stops updating, which is perfect for wall map displays. Cartographers sell explorer maps leading to ocean monuments, woodland mansions, and trial chambers, so the table doubles as a treasure-hunting tool. It also generates naturally in villages and even works as furnace fuel.

Versions: javabedrock

Frequently asked questions

What does a cartography table do in Minecraft?

It edits maps: zooming out costs 1 paper per step instead of 8, cloning a map costs 1 empty map, and locking a map with a glass pane freezes it so it never updates again.

Can you zoom out a map without a cartography table?

Yes, on a crafting table by surrounding the map with 8 paper, but the cartography table does the same zoom with a single piece of paper.

Which villager uses the cartography table?

The cartographer. It buys paper and glass panes and sells maps, banner patterns, and explorer maps to ocean monuments, woodland mansions, and trial chambers.

How do you lock a map in Minecraft?

Combine the map with a glass pane in a cartography table. A locked map keeps its current picture forever and stops tracking terrain changes.