When the player is less than 1027 blocks away from the map border, the icon returns to the proper size. If the player icon is smaller than it would be on a normal map, that means the player is a great distance away. The structures are displayed as a small icon. This may not be the nearest such structure to the player. The maps show a section of land that contains a woodland mansion, monument or buried treasure respectively. The maps differ from a normal map, in that it shows the area's land-water outline, with an orange striated (striped) texture for water, and the blank map texture for land.

There are three types of explorer maps: woodland, ocean, and buried treasure. See also: Map § Mapping and Map § Map content Locating structures Treasure maps, in contrast to explorer maps, generate in underwater ruins or in shipwrecks. In Bedrock Edition, a cartographer sells an explorer map that points to the nearest location, regardless of whether it is explored or previously mapped by another cartographer. Purchasing another explorer map from the same cartographer results in the same explorer map. In Java Edition, each cartographer sells its own unique explorer map that points to a different location than other cartographers. However, in Bedrock Edition, the cartographer trades for the map are unlocked, but the purchased map shows the same layout as in the corresponding dimension and shows no destination structure, but if cartographer trades are unlocked in an old world type (prior-1.11.0), the game stops ticking. In Java Edition, if the cartographer is in the Nether or the End, either spawned or transported, the trades for the map do not unlock.

Journeyman-level cartographer villagers sell woodland explorer maps for 14 emeralds and a compass. Apprentice-level cartographer villagers sell ocean explorer maps for 13 emeralds and a compass.

Minecraft 1.12 castle map