I was clearing out my office area and came across some old lecture notes from my Masters in Geographic Information Systems. Of particular note was a crib sheet I had written, either during a lecture or write-up afterwards on the subject of cartography. Re-reading these notes made me realise how much I have actually (I hope) applied this training during my 15year career since then. So I thought I would share these notes with you.
 Did you realise but this is a map of Mongo? |
Titles Never ever state the obvious. Do not write a title that reads “a map to show…” or “a diagram of…”. Use the font scale of a title and legend to balance the map aesthetics. For thematic maps the subject description can be presented on the data, rather than as a title itself. |
| North Arrow Is an important feature when the orientation of a map should be known. If the reader does not need to understand compass headings to use the map, a North Arrow is not necessary. |
 Mcarthur's Universal Corrective Map of the World |
 Scale and detail |
Scale |
|
Legends |
 It's a legend, we know!, for a map! |
Emphasis
The use of emphasis in drawing maps is important. The aims is that a map should be able to present information with no need for the reader to refer to a legend. Administrative boundaries should use a dash line style, roads will have dual lines, Coastlines should show a land/water boundary and contours should have normal line styles.
Shading provides further distinctions, and colour is the crème de la crème, which can lift map dimensionality.
Words on maps
Words on maps should allows follow any graticule lines present on a map. They should also distinguish between cultural (places) and physical (use italics) features. Tyepface is also a good method of distinction. Names on an angle should always be curved, and should never cover important features. A map should only be read from one side.
Shading
Use distinct shading for different attributes. Densities should be displayed using a dot shading approach. Blank shading means 0 or no data, whilst black shading will always dominate a map.
Colour
Simplies and clarifies interpretation and improves the pecerption of detail. Remember that colours means different things to different cultures, so understand your audience when selecting colour.
Thematic scale
Presenting data in thematic scales can make use of; single colour, part spectral, full spectral, or double-ended. Use continuity of colour when presenting different values of the same attribute. Continuous scales can include:
Conclusion
It has been a refreshing reminder for me and I have been scurrying through my maps to see where I have failed to apply these little insights. Mapping technology has come a long way since the mid 90s and the wide availability of web based mapping tools present new challenges and yet all of these principles above still hold true. Importantly though, the latest technology is still no substitute for the cartographer’s consideration of effective map presentation.