An important milestone in organizing Kotka-Jukola has been reached as the printing of competition maps has begun. At the same time, the competition maps, maps collected after the race, and the maps with all controls that will be available after the event will be printed. The maps are printed using digital printing technology by Grano.
“This is, besides the competition itself, the most important moment in course setting – the courses and the map are ready. For both the Jukola and Venla relays, bringing the courses to print-ready form has meant fine‑tuning countless details together with the Venla course setter Janne Niskanen, the rest of the course‑setting team, the course controller, and the mapper. Various checks to the courses, gafflings, and team legs have also been carried out extensively. Now that printing has begun, it’s a great relief – everything is ready on time,” says Jukola course setter Tuomas Mattila.
“It is a joy and an honor for Grano to be involved in Kotka-Jukola in such a central role. An orienteering map is an exceptionally demanding print product where both color accuracy and readability in all conditions are crucial — practically every line and symbol directly affects the competition experience,” notes Pasi Osala, Key Account Manager at Grano.
“We have produced the maps using digital printing technology, which enables consistent quality, precise color management, and flexible production even in large volumes. Collaboration with the course setters and mappers has been close throughout the entire process to ensure the final result meets the highest quality standards of orienteering. It’s great to support an event where the map is not just a material but an essential part of the athletic performance and the overall experience. We look forward to competitors using the maps in June — that will be the ultimate measure of successful printing, during the race itself.”
Once the maps are printed, they will be bagged and organized for the changeover area and start area during April, waiting for the second weekend of June.
“Receiving the competition map for the first time is an emotional moment for a course setter — it captures the essence of a multi‑year project. Looking at the finished printed product, I can promise that we are offering genuine Jukola quality in terms of the map, the courses, and the terrain!” Tuomas concludes.
Photos: Karo Holmberg
