PRINCIPLES OF CARTOGRAPHY

GEO 362
CHAPTER 4

Map Compilation and Cartographic

Map Design
 MAP COMPILATION
What is map compilation?

Assembling and fitting together the diversity of geographical data that

you will include in your map.
Fitting together : Locating the various data (in their proper relative
horizontal position) according to map projection
system and map scale being used.

Objective of map compilation :

To prepare of a composite that contains all the base reference data,

lettering, geographical distributions, and everything that will be included
in your maps.
 MAP COMPLIATION
Concept of map compilation :

GEOGRAPHICAL
DATA

WORKSHEET MAP

Editing, correcting 1. Thematic map

OTHER DATA & standardizing 2. Topographic map
3. Chart
Example of worksheet in ArcGIS
MAPPING SCALE VS DATA SOURCES
Mapping Scale
Large scale
( less than 1 : 25 000)
Medium scale
(1 : 25 000 < x < 1 : 50 000)
Small scale
( more than 1 : 50 000)
* Selection of data sources is actually varies with mapping scale
Data Sources
a) Data sources from ground survey
b) Recent advancement in remote
sensing & photogrammetry surpass
existing constraints of these new
methods
a) Aerial photograph and remote
sensing technique
a) Remote sensing technique
b) Additional data includes international
and worldwide coverage
 LARGE SCALE MAPPING
Detail mapping
Require high precision data
Experienced less generalization
from original data source
Method:
a) Details survey
b) DGPS RTK
c) Photogrammetry
d) LiDAR
Examples of common large
mapping:
a) Cadastral mapping
b) Topographic mapping
c) Nautical chart
 MEDIUM SCALE MAPPING
Generalization process is much
deeper in medium scale
mapping

Method : Remote sensing &

photogrammetry
 SMALL SCALE MAPPING
Base map information normally cover a huge area
Data format in pixel
Mapping reach regional or international level scale
Method : Remote sensing
 THEMATIC MAP
To show the distribution of something
No limit any kinds of information that can be called
thematic
Information may relate to environmental attributes, such as
land cover, soils, vegetation, or climate
It also may be statistical, showing population density,
incidence of disease, tax rates, and etc.
Sources of thematic data are practically unlimited
 THEMATIC MAP
What is the basic thematic data required?

Major highways, coastlines, major rivers and lake, political

boundaries, and latitude-longitude lines

For the theme data sources, actually there is no specific

sources, depends on the subject of the thematic maps.

e.g. :

Location of schools District Education Office

Household income Department of Statistics
 MAP COMPILATION

There are two main compilation modes:

a) Analog worksheet
b) Digital worksheet
 ANALOG COMPILATION DIGITAL COMPILATION
WORKSHEET WORKSHEET

Definition Map is compile and produced based on Map is compile and produced based
manual or traditional photomechanical electronic technology
methods

Comparison 1)Require perfection, experienced, and 1)More optional in choosing method

a lot of patience
2)Less expensive and time effective
2)Time and cost ineffective
3)Mass production is able to achieve
3)Massive production is not possible
4)Updating maps become less
4)Updating map become a repeatable complicated tasks
and redundant work
5)Databases concept being applied
5)All the mapping materials should be
aligned in one format in hardcopy 6)Data is stored and managed
modes properly
 MAP COMPILATION
Factors That Need To Be Considered In Digital
Compilation Worksheet

Is access to the databases is possible?

What aspects need to be considered in digitizing process?

What types of digitizing should be applied?

What is our best data sources?

What is the ideal projection systems to be used?

What kind of computer software and environment suits the needs of the map?
 MAP DIGITIZER

Manual Digitizing

Electro-Mechanical Digitizer & Line Following

Scanning Densitometers

Electronic Video Systems

 MAP DIGITIZER

Manual Digitizing

A map or aerial photograph is

placed on a digitizing table
and a pointing device (called a
cursor, puck, or mouse)

Used to record coordinates

of features to be extracted
from the map
 MAP DIGITIZER
Electro Mechanical Digitizer &
Line Follower

Operates based on electronic

trace devices combined with
human mechanical operator

Digitizing the features using

the follower (instrument)

Quite expensive instruments

 MAP DIGITIZER

Scanning Densitometer

Operates based on electronic

scanning devices

Scanning the hardcopy

materials in precise imaging

Quite expensive instruments

 MAP DIGITIZER

Video Digitizer

Device that takes an analog

video still frame and converts
it to a digital still image.

Accomplished with the aid of

computer hardware
 PRINCIPLES OF MAP DESIGN
Four (4) main design principles where generally being used as basic
guidelines by expert cartographers:

Clarity & Legibility Visual Contrast

Figure ground
Hierarchical Organization
Organization
 PRINCIPLES OF MAP DESIGN
Clarity & Legibility

Clarity = clear; legibility = legible

How to achieve clarity & legibility?

a) Good translation of the geographic features to

graphical symbol
b) Uses the differences of colour to differentiate
subjects
c) Symbols should be large in size enough to be
recognized
d) Highlights the subject : Get the users attention
STAR and Putra LRT station over Kuala Lumpur
BAD GOOD

BAD GOOD
 PRINCIPLES OF MAP DESIGN
Visual Contrast

Needed in order to give the eye a focal point and to make

map more interesting
Good visual contrast may includes:

a) Variation between weight lines

b) Colour intensity
c) Symbol design and size
d) Appropriate texture users
 When there is no
variation in visual contrast
(A), the map reader has a
hard time distinguishing
features from the
background

For quantitative
distributions (B), there
must be enough contrast
between tones for the
reader to distinguish
unique classes.
For qualitative
distributions (D), using a
variety of hues (e.g., red,
For qualitative green, blue, etc.) provide
distributions (C),using very good contrast
variations of a single
colour hue (e.g., red) does
not provide as much
contrast
 PRINCIPLES OF MAP DESIGN
Figure ground Organization

Once your eyes meets the maps, you should react

spontaneously to perceived perceptual impression about what is
the main subject highlighted on the map.
A figure, suppose to be main subject of the map, while ground
is the features around it.
There are many ways to promote figure-ground organization,
such as adding detail to the map or using a whitewash, a drop
shadow, or feathering.
 Bad Bad

Good : Good :
Adding Whitewash
detail

Good : Good :
Feathering Drop
shadow
 PRINCIPLES OF MAP DESIGN
Hierarchical Organization

Can be achieve through good manipulation figure-ground relationships.

After the first perception, differentiating the figure and ground features, the
information priority or hierarchy can be captured.
Hierarchical relationships can happen in various situations such as:
a) Differences e.g. Plague differences (which is the most deadly at certain
area)
b) Features order e.g. Land use (which type of land cover you want to be
highlighted or road system network)
c) Inter-relationships e.g. Thematic map shows an accident
(correlation between place and type of roads )
Poor Good

Good
 MAP CONTROLS
What is map controls?

- Aspects which strongly influences the design of one map

- need to be considered during map design process.

What is the elements which influences the map design?

Purpose Reality Available data Map scale

Audience Conditions of use Technical limits

Purpose

Your map design is depend on the purpose of your map.

This will effects the use of colour, lettering, symbols, generalization scheme
and map layout design.
Example:

Practical examples :
Topographic map is designed to portray a natural topographic and selected
man made features.

Thematic map is designed specifically to portray a particular spatial features

or phenomenon.
 Thematic map

Topographic map
Reality

Sometimes, your area of interest has geographical constraints which

make the map design work is much harder.

Practical examples :
Design of topographic map where the terrain with complex land
cover vs. homogenous land cover

Scale

The larger the scale (1:10000) more details features on the map, and
vice versa.
The degree of complexity on map design normally rely on the map
scale. Small scale map require less symbol usage, due to several
information only.

Practical examples :
Compare the map of the same area but different map scale used.cc
1 : 50 000
1 : 12 500
Data

Sometimes, we dont get what we want, and we need to deal with

that.
Map design depends a lot on the availability of data sources.
Without sufficient data, less information derived, and therefore less
effective map.
 Less information due
to lack data sources

Map with abundant

information
Audience

Different map audience will require different map design principal.

Selection of audience is normally determined before the map being
compose and one map could have more than one type of audience

Practical examples :
Topographic map : Surveyors, Engineers, Army, Geoinformation
Specialists, Urban Planners, Scientists, etc

Tourists map : Tourists, Taxi driver, Travel Agency, etc

Conditions of Use

A good map designer should create map accordingly with the use of the
map.

Practical examples :
Topographic map : Standard map design elements

Tourists map : Colourful, attractive symbol, fonts, and should be in simple

design
 MAP LAYOUT
What is map layout?

Can be generally defined as a proper arrangement of the map elements.

What is the basic elements in map layout design?

Grid
North Indicator Title Legend
(Lat & Long)

Scale Data Sources Date of Published Publisher

 MAP LAYOUT
Types of layout

Island Map Layout

Bleeding edge Layout

Frame Layout
 Layout Balance

Symmetric Balance

Informal Balance

Formal Grid Balance