GIS Cartography: A Guide to Effective Map Design

2014·56 MB·English

by  Gretchen N. Peterson

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE P
e
t GIS
e
r
s
GIS o
Cartography n
A Guide to Effective Map Design
Second Edition Cartography
“This book is an excellent text for the practicing GIS professional and for anyone who
wants to know both the theoretical as well as practical underpinnings of cartography.”
—Jack Dangermond, Esri President
A Guide to Effective Map Design
G
“… Ms. Peterson provides easy-to-understand, detailed guidance on creating effective
mapped communications. … an excellent resource for geo-professionals and early I
S
career mapmakers alike. … significantly contributes to better communications between
Gretchen N. Peterson
mapmakers and the decision makers and consumers who need to understand phenomena

being mapped. I highly recommend it to readers who want to tell the story of their C
studies in maps and don’t want limitations in design to detract from their important
a
analytical message.”
r
—J. Edward Pickle, Chief Executive Officer, Boundless
t
o
“ … Gretchen Peterson demystifies successful cartographic communication. She reveals
that it is not talent or templates that make great maps; it is the insightful coordination g
of each graphic element. In user-friendly language, Peterson presents insight that
r
cartographers and GIS professionals—at all levels—can use to improve the quality of
a
the work.”
p
—Dave Imus, Imus Geographics
h
See What’s New in the Second Edition
y
• Projection theory
• Hexagonal binning
S
• Big Data point density maps e
c
• Scale-dependent map design o
n
• 3D building modeling d

• Digital cartography and its best practices E
d
• Updated graphics and references it
i
o
• Study questions and lab exercises at the end of each chapter
n
In this second edition of a bestseller, author Gretchen Peterson takes a “don’t let the
technology get in the way” approach to the presentation, focusing on the elements of
good design, what makes a good map, and how to get there, rather than specific software
tools. She provides a reference that you can thumb through time and again as you create
your maps. Copiously illustrated, the second edition explores novel concepts that kick-
start your pursuit of map-making excellence.
K22213
6000 Broken Sound Parkway, NW
Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487 Second Edition
711 Third Avenue
New York, NY 10017
an informa business
2 Park Square, Milton Park
www.crcpress.com Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN, UK www.crcpress.com

GIS
Second Edition
Cartography
A Guide to Effective Map Design

GIS
Second Edition
Cartography
A Guide to Effective Map Design
Gretchen N. Peterson
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2015 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Version Date: 20140213
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4822-2068-1 (eBook - PDF)
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts
have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume
responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers
have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to
copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has
not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint.
Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmit-
ted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without written permission from the publishers.
For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright.
com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood
Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that provides licenses and
registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a photocopy license by the CCC,
a separate system of payment has been arranged.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used
only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com
For My Mother

Contents
Preface ...................................................................................................................xiii
Acknowledgments ................................................................................................xv
Trademark Names ..............................................................................................xvii
1. Introduction .....................................................................................................1
On Design Experience .....................................................................................2
Constructive Criticism ....................................................................................3
What Is a Geoprofessional? ............................................................................4
Tick-Tock Goes the Clock ................................................................................4
Why Good Design Matters .............................................................................6
Audience ...........................................................................................................6
How to Use This Book .....................................................................................7
Skipping the How-Tos to Get Straight to the Good Stuff ...........................8
Relative Map Scales .........................................................................................8
Endnotes ............................................................................................................9
2. Creative Inspiration .....................................................................................11
You Can Be Creative .......................................................................................12
Doing ...............................................................................................................13
Seeing...............................................................................................................13
An Example of How to See ...........................................................................14
Applying All of This to Your Map ..............................................................15
Summary and Final Prodding .....................................................................17
Creative Maps .................................................................................................17
A Few Places to Start Seeing Art from Your Desktop ..............................18
Endnotes ..........................................................................................................18
Exercise ............................................................................................................19
3. Layout Design................................................................................................21
All Together Now ..........................................................................................21
Layout Checklist ............................................................................................24
Element Details and Examples ....................................................................25
Title ..............................................................................................................27
Subtitle ........................................................................................................29
Legend ........................................................................................................30
Maps ............................................................................................................34
North Arrow ..............................................................................................35
Date .............................................................................................................36
Authorship .................................................................................................37
vii
viii Contents
Scale Bars ....................................................................................................38
Page Border ................................................................................................40
Neat Lines ..................................................................................................40
Graticules ...................................................................................................42
Network Path .............................................................................................43
Disclaimer ..................................................................................................44
Data Sources ..............................................................................................45
Data Citations ............................................................................................46
Logos ...........................................................................................................46
Graphs .........................................................................................................47
Photographs ...............................................................................................49
Graphics ......................................................................................................50
Map Number .............................................................................................51
Tables ..........................................................................................................52
Copyright ...................................................................................................53
Projection ....................................................................................................54
Inset Map ....................................................................................................55
Descriptive Text .........................................................................................56
Style ..................................................................................................................56
Context.............................................................................................................57
Arrangement ..................................................................................................60
Emphasis Maps and Wireframes .................................................................62
Simplicity versus Complexity ......................................................................64
Margins ...........................................................................................................65
Balance .............................................................................................................67
Endnotes ..........................................................................................................69
Suggestions for Further Reading .................................................................69
Study Questions .............................................................................................69
Exercises ..........................................................................................................70
4. Fonts ................................................................................................................71
Choosing the Right Font ...............................................................................71
Serif versus Sans Serif ...................................................................................72
Decorative...................................................................................................76
Script ...........................................................................................................76
Letter Height, Width, Line Thickness ....................................................77
Modifying the Font ........................................................................................78
Point Size ....................................................................................................79
Other Modifications ..................................................................................82
Placing the Text ..............................................................................................87
Text Direction .................................................................................................88
Study Questions .............................................................................................92
Resources ........................................................................................................93
Endnotes ..........................................................................................................93