Polygons – apply different fill colors to each layer These will be broken apart and add extra junk to the illustrator file, creating more work in the illustrator environment and you’ll have to apply a stroke again in illustrator anyway Polygons – do not include strokes (outlines) Here are some tips for symbology and labeling when exporting a map to illustrator: Let’s jump ahead a bit and assume you’ve added all of the data you need and set up labeling properties for each layer that needs them as well. You’ll thank yourself at some point if you make this a habit. Go to the top menu hit Bookmarks>Create and name your bookmark so you’ll remember what it means when you come back to update this map in 6 months. Also, keep in mind that down the production line you must print with NO SCALING or the nice round map scale you set won’t be accurate.Īfter you’ve set up the map extent and scale nicely, you’ll want to bookmark your work. That little bit of extra work will make your map audience’s life just a little easier and it will make you a better cartographer. The absolute scale 1:6,354,233 translates to 1”=100.29 miles on the map and that’s tough to translate on a paper map but 1:6,336,000 translates to 1”=100 miles. At this point in my career, I always set a scale that translates to some round unit. Check out the map scales utility for help with this. If you haven’t already done so, add the data that contains your focus feature and zoom to that feature.Īt this point, you can adjust the map scale, to a meaningful scale, to capture your target feature while also allowing enough room for other map elements you’ve planned in your map design. In layout view select the data frame, right-click, and select Distribute>Fit to Margins to fill the page with your map data frame. If you plan to have a full bleed final product, you may want to give each dimension an extra 0.2” to accommodate the bleed area.Īt this point, your data frame needs to be distributed to fit the page layout. This is where you will input, based on the page orientation you have already sketched out/designed, the page dimensions. Here’s what the page setup might look like for map A in the sketch above. I just don’t print from ArcMap, period, and prefer to control the layout with user input. I always uncheck Use Printer Paper Settings. At this point I usually know what my layout size (paper size) needs to be and I set that in ArcMap by visiting the File>Page and Print Setup… menu. If your title block includes very large black, bold text in the upper left corner, there should probably be some other elements in the lower right corner to balance the aesthetics.Īfter you’ve sketched the basic layout and decided on the best orientation, you can set the page size and scale in ArcMap. Pretend each elements has a weight based on its size, color and boldness and try to balance that weight across the top/bottom and left/right plane of the page. When designing a map to include these extra elements keep in mind the balance of these extra elements as well. The areas left in white space, shaded in blue are perfect spots for extra map elements – scale bar, title block, inset map, text, charts, etc. This is something I recommend sketching out before setting map scales and setting up a map layout. County A lends itself better to a landscape orientation (long edge on bottom) because of its shape, while County B lends itself to a portrait orientation (long edge on side). Pretend the features (the red outlines) in the sketches below are my map subjects, maybe two different counties. I try not to force the map subject into a predefined layout, instead I let the shape of the main feature dictate the page orientation and other elements of the layout. Will it have a title block, a scale bar, a north arrow? I usually let the shape and extent of my map subject dictate the final layout not the other way around. Think about the elements your final map will contain. If you stick with these guidelines/tips, it will make your life a little easier when you get into the Illustrator workspace.įirst, design your map layout (page size, map extent and scale) in ArcMap before you even open illustrator or think about pressing export. If you’d like to finish a map with Adobe Illustrator, that you started in ArcMap, there are a few quirks and best practices you should know about when exporting that map from ArcMap. By Brian in ArcMap, Design, GIS, Illustrator, Labeling, Symbology
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |