Minecraft is arguably one of the biggest video games of all time. While traversing through its world, you are bound to get lost at least once during your journey. In situations like this, a map can help you navigate the huge world.
One of the best things about maps in Minecraft is that acquiring them is quite easy as only two types of items are needed to craft them in Java Edition and a single item to craft them in Bedrock Edition.
Surprisingly, a significant part of the Minecraft player base is unaware that markers can be placed on maps. Using this feature, players can put a marker on their base, farms, and other places they frequently visit on the map and easily navigate between them.
In this article, we will learn how to put markers on a map.
How to make a mark on a map in Minecraft
Before we place anything on the map, we need an empty map. In Java Edition, you can craft a map on the crafting table by placing a compass in the center and papers in all the other slots of the crafting grid. If you are on Minecraft Bedrock Edition, you only need to place paper in all the slots to craft an empty map.
While wandering around or exploring the game, you may also find maps inside chests of Shipwrecks, Strongholds, and a few Cartographer’s village houses. The probability of a map being inside a village house’s chest is the highest.
Now that you’ve obtained a map, get close to an area you wish to see on the map and press the use button (left click in Java Edition) to make it an actual map. After doing this, we can start putting markers.
How to put markers on a map?
The following steps will help you place markers:
Step 1: To put a marker on a map, you will need a banner. Craft a banner on the crafting table by placing six wool of the same color on the top two rows and a stick in the center slot of the bottom row. The banner’s color will be the same as the color of the wool.
Step 2: Place the banner on an anvil and name it something.
Step 3: Go to the landmark you wish to mark on the map and put your banner there.
Step 4: Bring out your map and right-click while aiming at the banner.
You have successfully placed a marker on the map in Minecraft.
Expanding a map in Minecraft
If you have created a too-small map that does not show all the landmarks you want to mark, then you can expand the map to make it bigger.
To do so, you will need the following items:
- Cartography table: The crafting ingredients of a cartography table are two pieces of paper and four planks. Place them as shown.
- 1x paper: Paper can be crafted on a crafting table by placing three sugar cane horizontally on different slots of the crafting grid.
Once you have obtained those items, follow these steps:
Step 1: Place down the cartography table and click on it.
Step 2: The Cartography table GUI will open, and there will be two slots in which items can be placed. In the top slot, place the map, and in the bottom one, place a paper.
Step 3: That’s it! Now, you have a new expanded map.
Step 2 can be repeated three more times if you wish to expand your map further. You may have to explore more to fill the new expanded map if parts of the map are blank.
Making markers on a map in Minecraft for the first time can be confusing. However, as long as you follow the steps mentioned in this guide, you will have no problems creating markers. Check out our other guides to become a better Minecraft player: