Tag: Cartography
Ptolemy’s Geographia
Claudius Ptolemy could be described as an ancient Roman renaissance man. He was a Roman citizen who lived in Alexandria, Egypt and wrote is scientific texts in Greek. He was not only a geographer but a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, and even a poet. Ptolemy authored several scientific papers that resonated for centuries with many ancient [...]
To North Arrow or Not to North Arrow
I started my GIS education back when hand cartography was still a course offered at UCLA. My early teachers drilled into me the standard of adding a title, north arrow, and scale bar automatically to all maps. The GIS manager at a place where I first worked was adamant that all maps produced in that [...]
Ten Things to Consider When Making a Map
What makes a good map? When done well, a map is a vehicle for effective communication. There are many cartographic principles to help guide effective map making. Below are ten common considerations that all cartographers should incorporate as part of their map making process. This list isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list but rather [...]
Elements of a Map
Maps are the primary tools by which spatial relationships are visualized. Maps therefore become important documents. There are several key elements that should be included each time a map is created in order to aid the viewer in understanding the communications of that map and to document the source of the geographic information used. Numbered [...]
Making Color Blind Friendly Maps
It’s estimated that about 7% of males are color blind in some form (as compared with 0.4% of females). While a very small percentage don’t see color at all, the most common form of color blindness is the inability to differentiate red and green colors. One area that color blindness can be challenging is [...]