Data & Pattern Prints, Single print
How Long Is the Coast?
The coastline paradox as a nautical chart: the shorter the ruler, the longer the coast.
€4.95
Buy on Etsy- Instant digital download
- Print as often as you like for your own home
- No physical item is shipped; frame not included
Prices in euros. Etsy shows the current price, including any sale, in your own currency.
What you receive
High-resolution JPG files at 300 DPI, covering the 2:3, 3:4, 4:5, 11x14 and ISO (A5 to A1) ratios.
5 ZIP files with 5 high-resolution JPG files (one per ratio) (300 DPI) plus a printing guide (PDF):
- 2:3 ratio: 4x6, 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, 20x30, 24x36 in
- 3:4 ratio: 6x8, 9x12, 12x16, 18x24 in
- 4:5 ratio: 4x5, 8x10, 12x15, 16x20 in
- 11x14 in
- ISO ratio: A5, A4, A3, A2, A1
Printing
Print at home on matte paper (200 gsm+), at a local print shop or with an online print lab. Choose "fit", not "fill". Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers.
About this design
Measure a coastline with a long ruler and you skip every bay and inlet; use a shorter one and the coast keeps getting longer. This print shows it with an invented island whose shore was grown in code, with detail at every scale. Below the chart, the same coast is walked all the way round with dividers of 8, 4, 2 and 1 km, and the lengths are real: 160, 184, 210 and 243 km.
Navy ink, soft sea-blue depth rings and terracotta measurements on warm chart paper. A smart, calm piece for a study, office or classroom, and a great gift for a maths teacher, geographer, sailor or anyone who loves a good paradox.
