Google Earth is a free download providing satellite maps of locations throughout the world, which can be printed to create unique postcards.
Compatible with Windows and Macintosh computers, type in your home postcode or the name of a famous landmark ? such as the Sydney Opera House ? and the program provides a birds-eye view, that users can zoom around. Although Google Earth is being constantly updated, satellite images are not yet available for the entire country.
To create a postcard, users need to save images from Google Earth as Jpegs or take screen grabs using software such as SnapShot, which is available as a free download from Electric Software.
The pictures can then be cropped and resized, before being printed at home or using an online provider such as FotoInsight.com. FotoInsight.com requires a minimum resolution of 866×615 pixels and enables information – including the postcode or address details – to be added to each postcard.
Under Google?s terms the maps can?t be used commercially, although: ?You can personally use an image from the application as long as you preserve the copyrights and attributions including the Google logo attribution.?
For a full list of terms and conditions or to download the program log onto http://earth.google.com.