Posts Tagged ‘Map Style’

The Best Cartography Websites – ESRI’s Mapping Center

by Jeff on April 11, 2008 at 12:24PM

ESRI’s Mapping Center is a year old and continues to expand its collection of useful cartographic information. While focusing on ESRI’s ArcGIS, most of the ArcGIS-related tools and suggestions can be applied to non-ArcGIS platforms, and many non-ArcGIS resources are provided as well. Some cool features include:

Ask a Cartographer
This is a searchable database of questions sent in by users and answered by the ESRI Mapping Center Team. Equally useful are the comments left by readers in response to the ESRI sponsored solutions. Questions covered include:

• General cartographic design
• Page layout
• Data
• Cartographic effects

The Blog
Posts to the blog are not exclusively made by ESRI staff, but also include interesting reader contributions. Informative questions/answers are pulled from the “Ask a Cartographer” portion of the website as well. Topics covered include:

• Cartographic design tips
• Current mapping topics
• Unique solutions to various mapping issues

Map Library
The Map Library features seven very different sample maps with accompanying articles and tips on how various cartographic effects were manipulated to create the best map for the purpose and audience. Sample tips include:

• Creating a hierarchy of label sizes
• Presenting numeric data with proportional 3D symbols
• Rounding and presenting data values in a legend

Resource Center – ARC GIS & Other Resources
The site also offers two resource centers, one focusing on ARCGIS tools and another with universally appealing resources.

ARCGIS Resources
• Styles
• Tools, Models & Scripts
• Expression Queries & Statements
• Data

Other Resources
• Presentations
• Publications
• Other ESRI Resources
• Cartographer’s Favorites

ESRI’s Mapping Center offers plenty for both beginners and professionals to explore, so check it out!

http://mappingcenter.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=home.welcome

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The Best Cartography Websites – Map Template Creation

by Jeff on April 2, 2008 at 9:01AM

TypeBrewer.org features a great interactive tool to help you design optimized map templates. Rather than just providing a font wizard, the site allows you to explore how topography and font interplay. This way, you learn why map templates work or don’t, and you are able to create your own templates with confidence.

Initially, you choose from four map style types (contemporary, classic, informal, formal), with three sub-styles each. This provides plenty of base options to choose from as you design a look that is pleasing to your user. Downloadable Adobe Illustrator templates and printable spec sheets are provided for easy transfer of this information to your map project.

As you explore various design options, you are also given important information. For example, the site explains how tracking works, when to use bold fonts and why the screen and print versions of a template are different. There is even a tool to search your computer for installed fonts; if the font indicated for the template you are building online is not available on your computer, TypeBrewer.org will suggest alternative fonts. In addition, links are provided to several websites that offer free fonts.

The site’s creator, Ben Sheeshly, has done an excellent job providing a site that is both useful and educational. I encourage you to explore it! http://www.typebrewer.org

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