Mapping Principles:

Making Your Map Look Good!

Cartography in ArcGIS Workshop

MidAmerica GIS Symposium

Kansas City, Missouri
April 21, 2008
Micah Cutler
GIS Coordinator,
Hardin & Franklin Counties, Iowa
 Overview
„ Elements of a Map
„ Map Design Considerations
„ Map Symbols
„ Principles of Color
„ Text Placement

This presentation was given during

a session at the 2006 MAGIC Symposium
(yeah, it’s that important!)
 Beginning the Design Process
When making a map, consider the
following questions:
„ What elements need to be included
on a map?

„ How should those elements look?

„ How should they be arranged?

 TALDOGS
T - Title
A - Author
L - Legend This acronym will
D - Date help you remember
what to include on a
O - Orientation
map.
G - Grid
S - Scale

Source: South Carolina Geographic Alliance

TALDOGS
T = Title
„ On a cadastral (property) or road
map, it is most likely the name of the
county or area.
„ On a thematic map, such as house
values, it should include the name of
the area and the main subject of the
map.
Ex: Eagle Ridge Subdivision
2003 Parcel Land Values
TALDOGS
A = Author
„ The organization or person who
made the map.
„ This also include the source of the

data if it is different that the person

who created it.
Examples: Prepared by:
Hardin County GIS
Prepared by: 641-939-8160
Micah Cutler gis@co.hardin.ia.us
Franklin County GIS Property values compiled by the
641-456-6045 Hardin County Assessor’s Office.
mcutler@co.franklin.ia.us
TALDOGS
L = Legend
„ Explains the symbols used on the
map.
„ Clear and easily readable.

„ Symbols should try and be the

same size as they are on the map.

„ May or may not use word –

LEGEND
Examples:
TALDOGS
D = Date
„ Always include when the map was created
or the date of the original data.
„ I include a printed date and the date of
the aerial photography, if appears on the
map.
Examples:
Printed: 8 JUNE 2004

Digital Orthophotography flown on March 1, 2000.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
All data posted is certified as of January 1, 2003
TALDOGS
O = Orientation
„ Generally maps are drawn with North
towards the top of the map and South
towards the bottom.
„ Very localized maps such as those for
shopping malls or parks are often oriented
around the main point of entry.
„ Include a north arrow, even if it seems
obvious – there are a lot of poor map
readers out there!
Examples:
J4
TALDOGS
G = Grid
„ This is the most difficult at the local level.
„ Includes latitude/longitude; A-1, B-3 type
grid, etc.
„ My personal opinion: the township and
range/section boundaries provide a
location grid.
„ Many software programs will automatically
put on a latitude/longitude grid.
„ A “location map” (overview map) also
works well.
TALDOGS
Overview Map
„ The overview map helps the map reader know
where in the county he or she is examining.
TALDOGS
S = Scale
„ A map's scale is a ratio that relates a unit
of measure on a map to some number of
the same units of measure on the earth's
surface.
„ Example: 1:25,000 means that 1 foot on
the map represents 25,000 feet on Earth.
TALDOGS
S = Scale
„ The larger the number, the smaller the
scale.
„ A map of an area 100 miles long by 100
miles wide drawn at a scale of 1:63,360
would be more than 8 feet square. To
make the map a more convenient size,
either the scale used or the area covered
must be reduced.
 Disclaimers
„ It’s always a good idea to include a
disclaimer on your map. This is a
variation of one that many counties use:

„ The Data is provided “as is” without warranty or any

representation of accuracy, timeliness or completeness.
The burden for determining accuracy, completeness,
timeliness , merchantability and fitness for or the
appropriateness for use rests solely on the requester.
Hardin County makes nor warranties, express or implied, as
to the use of the Data. There are no implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The
requester acknowledges and accepts the limitations of the
Data, including the fact that the Data is dynamic and is in a
constant state of maintenance, correction and update.
 Putting it Together
„ Now that you know what should go
on a map, it’s time to arrange the
individual elements.

„ This is like decorating, there are

some general “rules”, but it all
comes down to personal taste.
 Map Aesthetics
“The quality of a map is also in part an
aesthetic matter. Maps should have
harmony within themselves. An ugly
map, with crude colors, careless line
work, and disagreeable, poorly
arranged lettering may be intrinsically
as accurate as a beautiful map, but it
is less likely to inspire confidence.”
-John K. Wright, “Map Makers Are Human,”
Human,”
Geographical Review 32 (1944); 527-
527-44.
 5 Principles of Map Design
1. CONCEPT BEFORE COMPILATION - Once concept is understood, no design
or content feature will be included which does not fit it.

2. HIERARCHY WITH HARMONY - Important things must look important, and

the most important thing should look the most important. Harmony is
subliminal.

3. SIMPLICITY FROM SACRIFICE – It’s not what you put in that makes a
great map but what you take out. The map design stage is complete when
you can take nothing else out.

4. MAXIMUM INFORMATION AT MINIMUM COST - How much information can

be gained from this map, at a glance.

5. ENGAGE THE EMOTION TO ENGAGE THE UNDERSTANDING - Only when

the reader engages the emotion, the desire, will they be receptive to the
map's message. We are not just prettying maps up. The philosophy is
simple, beauty (aesthetics) focuses the attention.

Focusing the attention is the purpose of map design!

- Society of Cartographers
 So What is a Good Map?
„ To really focus, you need to ask yourself
these questions:

1. What is the goal of the map?

2. Who will read the map?
3. Where will the map be used?
4. What data is available for the composition of
the map?
5. What resources are available in terms of
both time and equipment?
 Map Composition
Good map composition should:
1. Stress the purpose of the map.
2. Direct the map reader’s attention.
3. Coordinate the base and thematic
elements of the map.
4. Maintain good cartographic
conventions (TALDOGS).
5. COMMUNICATE.
Simplify or Detail?

… depends on the scale and

size of the final product.
 Design Considerations
„ Visual Balance – use the natural shape of
your county or region.

„ Look for “white

space” that
allows for text
placement.
Figure and Ground Organization
„ People tend to organize the visual field
into:
„ Figures – important objects

„ Grounds – things less important

„ Use contrast distinguish important from

unimportant parts.
 Contrast
„ Lines – labels, borders, neatlines, political
boundaries, symbols, etc.
„ Line character – type and color

„ Line weight – thickness

„ Texture or pattern
„ Color
„ Visual acuity (measures the size threshold
at which the eye can distinguish or read)
„ Don’t want symbols and text too small
or too big
 Text Contrast
„ Masking text and symbols works well for
giving “importance” and clarity.

„ Notice the text

“Woodbine” and
road names.
 Contrast
„ The shading for water
along the coastline
provides nice contrast
to the land.

„ Also notice that the

text label for the
water is italicized.
 Hierarchy
„ Contrast, shading,
color, and text
masking are all
techniques used to
create hierarchy.

„ The focus or most

important part of the
map “jumps” out at
you first.
 Map Symbols
„ Take time to
research commonly-
used symbols and
conventions.

„ Use line weights and

colors to make your
symbols stand out.
 Map Symbols & Line Weights
„ Interstate, Federal Highway, and County Road symbols
„ Thicker, darker lines for paved & primary roads
 Map Symbols in ESRI Software
„ ESRI software comes
with tons of symbols
for lines, points, and
polygons.

„ Often these symbols

can be modified
slightly to get the
exact look you are
after.
 Why Use Color?
„ Color simplifies and clarifies, as well as
unifies various map elements.

„ Color affects the general perceptibility of

the map.

„ Color elicits subjective reactions to the

map. People respond to colors; it creates
mood.
 Color Wheel
„ Many believe that providing complementary
colors in a composition establishes stability.
„ Complementary colors are opposite on the
color wheel.
 Color Balance
„ Use color balance so that dominant colors
occupying large areas do not overpower the
remainder of the map.

„ Since areas are fixed in geography, only

choice of color is possible when planning
balance.

„ Remember – what is pleasant to one map

reader may not be pleasant to another.
 Map Lettering
„ Map lettering should be viewed first as
a functional symbol, only secondarily
as an aesthetic object.

„ Need to consider:
1. Selection of lettering type
2. Placement on map
 Choosing Text Style
„ When considering text styles, keep the
following points in mind:
• Legibility of individual letters
(don’t want to confuse c and e
or i and j).
• Avoid extremely bold forms.
• Don’t use decorative typefaces –
too difficult to read.
This would not be a good choice. Neither would this.
 Point Label Placement
„ Chart at the right shows the
preferred order of text
placement around a point.
„ Text should be horizontal if
possible.
„ Town names should be
located on the side of the
river on which the town is
located.
„ Maplex Label Engine* really *(Need an ArcEditor
increases your options or ArcInfo license)
Examples of Point Label Placements
 Linear Feature Label Placement
„ Linear features: rivers, streams, roads,
railroads, paths, airlines, etc.
„ Repeat as often as necessary to
facilitate its identification.
„ Ideal location is along a horizontal
stretch.
„ Prefer italicized labels for hydrology
features.
 Labeling vs. Annotation

„ Annotation – MUCH higher time investment, but can be

used repeatedly
„ Labeling – useful when printing one-use maps at many
different scales
 Areal Features Label Placement
„ Ideally, put the label entirely inside the
polygon feature.
„ Don’t hyphenate names.
„ If lettering is not horizontal, make sure
it deviates significantly, so that its
placement won’t look like a mistake.
„ Never position text so that parts are
upside down.
Areal Features Label Placement
 Title and Legend Text
„ Titles are generally most important –
largest type size.
„ May position title or title boxes
overlapping other features.
„ Legend materials medium – reflect
their position in the hierarchy.
„ Map sources, notes, etc. in the smallest
type size.
Title Placement
What I’d like you to remember…
„ TALDOGS
„ Know your audience/purpose
„ Examine “good maps” and adopt/
adapt similar colors, layouts, etc.
„ Good map design takes practice and
lots of revisions
„ Map design is subjective – but we
know ugly maps when we see them
 Questions? Comments?
Opinions?

Micah Cutler
GIS Coordinator
Hardin & Franklin Counties
641-939-7590
mcutler@co.hardin.ia.us

A copy of this presentation can be found at

http://www.IowaGIC.org
Keyword Search: cartography, TALDOGS
 Now let’s put these
ideas to practical use….
 Table of Contents Text
„ Take the time to edit the Table of
Contents (TOC) text – saves time
when inserting a legend
• Layer name
• Symbology text
• Uncheck “<all other values>”
„ When the TOC text is updated, your
legend will update
Table of Contents Text
 Reference Scale

„ You view the Reference Scale in ArcMap on the

General tab of the Data Frame Properties dialog
box.

„ By default, labels will not scale as you zoom in or

out on your map.
• They stay the same size on the page regardless of the
map scale.
• Though they stay the same size on the page, they will,
by default, take up more geographic space on the map
as you zoom in, and less space as you zoom out.
• Once you've decided on a map scale, you will probably
want your labels to scale as you zoom in and out. You
do this by setting a reference scale for your data frame.
Reference Scale
Reference Scale
 Reference Scale
„ You can have a layer ignore the reference
scale by unchecking the box in the Layer
Properties | Display Tab
„ Reference scale affect the “thickness” of
the drawings also,
not just the labeling
 Layer Symbology
„ Default gives all features in the layer a
single symbol
„ Can symbolize based on an attribute field
 Layer Symbology
„ Double-click on symbol to change
properties
Layer Symbology
 Layer (.lyr) Files
„ Saving a layer saves everything about the
layer, such as the symbolization and
labeling
„ When you add a layer file to another map,
it will draw exactly as it was saved
• Others can drop those layers onto their maps
without having to know how to access the
database or classify the data
• useful when sharing data with nontechnical
staff members
 Layer (.lyr) Files
„ Reference its data source using the Data
Source Options setting currently specified
for the map on the Document Properties
dialog box
• By default, this setting specifies that data
sources will be referenced with their full path.
„ Have to have access to the same data
location
„ If the data is renamed or moved, the layer
files must be updated to use the new path
 Layer (.lyr) Files
„ Relative path is an alternative for referencing a
layer's data source
„ With a relative path, the layer will start looking
for the data source from the location in which the
layer is stored
„ To create a layer that uses relative paths in
ArcMap, you must set the map's properties so
that it uses relative paths for all layers
„ Once you've saved the layer file, you can't
change the data source options from absolute to
relative or vice versa. The layer will always
maintain the data source option that was set for
the map document at the time you saved the
layer
Styles

Styles are a collection of predefined

colors, symbols, properties of
symbols, and map elements that
allow you to follow a mapping
standard and help promote
consistency in your organization's
mapping products.
 Styles

Benefits of using styles include

•Maintaining mapping standards
•Communicating more effectively through familiar styles
•Using a map template with referenced styles or groups of styles when
creating a map or map series
•Standardizing map symbolization so your maps will look the same when
they are published or printed with different printers
 Styles

C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Styles
Relative Data Path
 Adding Map Elements
„ Insert drop-down
menu in the Layout
View
• North Arrow
• Scale Bar
• Scale Text
• Neatline
• Text
• Title
• Picture
• Object
 North Arrow
„ Let map dictate style
• Simple map – simple arrow
„ Right-click and convert to graphic if
exporting map as a .pdf
• (so not treated as a font)
 Scale Bar
„ Make sure you have the correct data
frame selected if there is more than
one
„ Lots of options
• Style of bar
• Units of measure
• Labeling – size and location
• Font
Scale Bar
 Scale Bar
„ TIP:
Select “Adjust
number of divisions”
if you want to keep
your division values
constant
 Scale Text
„ Scale text options are pretty
straightforward – edit the number of
decimals
„ Map readers generally understand “1 inch
equals ….” better than an absolute scale
 Inserting Legend to Layout
„ Legend Wizard helps you get the
look you want first
„ Can edit it the legend properties
later
„ Can preview legend as you proceed
through the wizard
 Legend Wizard
„ Choose layers to include and number of
columns
„ Select from TOC and move to Legend
Items with arrow buttons
„ Pay attention to layer
list order
• can shift around with
black arrow buttons
 Legend Wizard
„ Modify the legend title (optional)
 Legend Wizard
„ Change the Legend frame properties
„ Select a white background if place legend
on top of the data frame
• Default is clear with no frame or shadow
 Legend Wizard
„ Change/modify the type of symbol shape
(patch) used for each layer
„ Especially useful for natural features, such
as hydrology, because the defaults are
straight and square
 Legend Wizard
„ Change/modify the space between legend
elements
 Legend Properties
„ Can modify the
legend properties
after using the wizard
„ Right-click on legend
to select Properties…
 Legend Properties
„ Change frame
properties
(background, frame,
drop shadow)
„ Change items in
legend
• Labeling
• Patches
• Which layers from TOC
„ Change legend text
and spacing
 Legend Properties
„ Options to change
how the TOC
interacts with the
legend
• Reference scale
• Display only layers
turned on
• Reordering items
• Adding new layers
„ Add new columns
 Legend Properties
„ Add/remove layer
name
„ Add/remove/resize
labels
„ Override patch
symbols
„ Override patch sizes
 Multiple Data Frames
„ Inset Maps
„ Location Maps
„ Display varying degrees of detail
Multiple Data Frames
 Multiple Data Frames
„ Switch between data frames
• Click on frame in Layout View or
• Right-click and select “Activate” in Data
View
„ Layers are added to the active data
frame
 Extent Rectangles
„ Can show the extent of one data frame in
another data frame
„ Data Frame Properties – Extent Rectangle
Tab
„ Frame button
changes color/size
 Extent Rectangles
„ Can select a
optional leader line
„ Example at right
has one data frame
with a red border
„ Depending on
purpose, might
want to include two
scale bars or scale
text
 Graphic Text in Data View
„ Text acts differently in data view vs.
layout view
„ Does not scale when zooming in and out
„ Graphic text is placed in default
annotation target
Graphic Text in Data View
Graphic Text in Data View
Graphic Text in Data View
 Graphic Text in Layout View
„ “Floats” above the data frame
„ Doesn’t move when the data frame
itself or data in the data frame is
moved
„ Text element like any other – title,
disclaimer, print date, etc.
Graphic Text in Layout View
Graphic Text in Layout View
Graphic Text in Layout View
 Data Frame Scale Extent
„ Default is
Automatic
„ Fixed Scale
• No zoom in/out
„ Fixed Extent
• No zoom in/or
• No pan
„ Clip to Shape
• Useful for clipping
all layers at
corporate limits
Data Frame Clip to Shape
Data Frame Clip to Shape
 Labeling
„ Labels are dynamic
• Label information taken from attribute
table
„ Don’t scale unless reference scale is
set (stay the same size)
„ Default location follow a “best fit”
scenario
 Labeling
„ Basic controls
• Color
• Size
• Font
• Label field

„ Keep clicking
– Lots of options to change things!
Label Symbol Modification
 Label Masking
„ Helps text “pop”
„ Can change the size and color of mask
„ Changing properties buried
Label Masking
 Label Expressions
„ Label expressions allow you to combine
more than one attribute field in a label
„ Can be simple or advanced
 Label Expressions
„ Lots of resources – ArcGIS Help
„ http://support.esri.com
 Simple Label Expressions
„ Double-click to
add field to
expression box
„ Click Verify
button to
preview
expression

[field] & vbNewLine & [field]

Advanced Label Expressions
 Feature Class Labeling

„ Can label a feature

based on an attribute
or query

„ Can define class or

use the same symbol
classes as in TOC
 Feature Class Labeling
„ Can perform a SQL query on any field in
the attribute table
 Feature Class Labeling
„ Pre-defined label styles
„ Can import .style files
 Inserting a Picture
„ Insert any image file
„ Check “Save Picture
as Part of Document”
to avoid missing data
paths
• Will make map
document larger
in size
Missing Picture Data Path
Inserting an Object
„ Opens up the external
software
Insert Object from File
 Inserting an Object
„ When you insert an existing file into a map,
the Link check box on the Insert Object dialog
box lets you choose whether the file is linked
or embedded
„ Check the Link box, the file will be linked
• Changes you make to the contents of the file by
double-clicking it on the map will also appear in the
original file on disk and changes to the original file
will also appear on the map
„ Choose not to link the file (the default), it will
be embedded, which means that there will be
no link between the original file and the
version of it you have inserted into the map
• Changes made in one will not appear in the other
Adding Attribute Table to Layout
„ Appearance of the table in the table window
defines how it will look on the layout
• Set the text font and size before you add the table
to the layout
• Once added, any additional formatting to the table
window won't affect its display on the layout
„ Determine which rows and columns will display
on the layout by arranging the data in the table
window beforehand
• Row and column that appear in the upper-left
corner of the table window define what appears in
the upper-left corner of the table on the layout
Adding Attribute Table to Layout
„ Several table frames can be added from a single
table to a layout, but once you've added a table
frame to a layout, you can't change its
appearance.
• To make changes, delete the table frame, make
adjustments to the appearance of the table window,
then add the table to the layout again
„ Can show just the selected rows in the table
frame, click the selected button on the table
before adding it to the layout
• Selections made afterwards do not affect the data in the
table frame
• If the All button is selected when the table is added, the
selection is ignored
• Any edits you make to the table will automatically be
reflected in the table on the layout.
Adding Attribute Table to Layout
Adding Attribute Table to Layout
 Change Layout Button

„ Choose from layout templates

„ Shortcut for a quick layout option
Questions? Opinions?
Anything I Missed?

Micah Cutler
GIS Coordinator
Hardin & Franklin Counties
641-939-7590
mcutler@co.hardin.ia.us