Cartography in

ArcGIS

Lecture 2: The Basics of Mapping

Topics

• Elements of Map

• Steps in Laying Out a Map

• Basic of Map Designs

 Elements of a Map

1. Main Map Body

The map itself or the area in
the map showing the area of
interest.

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Elements of a Map

2. Title
It reflects the subject of the
map.

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Elements of a Map

3. Legend
Explains the symbols used on the map.

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Elements of a Map

4. Scale
The scale relates the distance unit
corresponding of the distance in the
real world.
Elements of a Map

5. North Arrow
North Arrow of Orientation Indicator shows
the relationship of the directions shown on
the map versus the compass direction in
reality.
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Elements of a Map

6. Source Note
The source note or
citations shows where
the information came
from or derived.
Elements of a Map

7. Author
This portion of the map shows the
creator/cartographer of the map.
Elements of a Map

8. Date
The date should provide
the information when
was the map created.
Elements of a Map

9. Locator Map
Locator map or inset map is
the smaller version of the
main map or in some cases
shows a larger geographic
area where the main map
can be located
Steps in Mapping

1. Define the Question

Your map should visualize the answer to a
certain question

PROBLEM
Steps in Mapping

2. Choose a Map Type

REFERENCE THEMATIC
 Steps in Mapping

3. Consider Your Map Elements

The basic map element does not need to fit in

a single map.
Steps in Mapping

4. Establish a Visual Hierarchy

This signifies the map lay out being
organized that the most important
elements are emphasized.
Steps in Mapping
Steps in Mapping

5. Decide on Design Elements

Map design is usually the key to make our map
catchy. This includes the selection of color, font,
line stroke weights, etc.
Steps in Mapping
Steps in Mapping
Steps in Mapping
Steps in Mapping
Basics of Map Design

1. Color
Choosing the color of map especially the symbols for
the legend should reflect appropriateness.
Basics of Map Design

2. Outlines, Borders, and Stroke Widths

Outlines defines the clarity of shape, thus, choosing

the color and width/weight should be considered.
Basics of Map Design

3. Fonts
While there are too many available typeface/fonts
installed in the computer, it is best limited to use two
types.
ESRI
The Science of Where
The Power of ESRI's ArcGIS
The Power of GIS
 The ArcGIS Software Package

ArcGIS offers unique capabilities and flexible licensing for applying location-
based analytics to your business practices. Gain greater insights using
contextual tools to visualize and analyze your data. Collaborate and share
via maps, apps, dashboards and reports.
Parts of ArcMap
Parts of ArcMap
1. Menu Bar
Parts of ArcMap

2. Tool Bars (Standard & Floating)

Parts of ArcMap

2. Tool Bars (Standard & Floating)

Parts of ArcMap
3. Table of Contents
Parts of ArcMap
5. Catalog
Parts of ArcMap
5. Map View/Display
Parts of ArcMap
5. Map View/Display
 Activity:
Map Lay Outing Using ArcMap

Objectives: • to familiarize the basic tools of ArcMap/ArcGIS

Materials: • Computer with ArcGIS Software

Output: • Thematic or Reference map of chosen data/information and

area of interest with basic elements

Time Allotment: 2 Hours

 Instructions

1. Open ArcMap.

Notice that two window

appeared with the
smaller window 'ArcMap
- Getting Started'.
Select 'My Templates'
then 'Blank Map'.
The window should be
exit upon selecting 'Ok'.
 Instructions

2. Save the Project.

Click 'File' from the menu

bar and select 'Save'.

A new window will

appear and suggest the
file location of the
ArcMap file (project). This
saved file will have an
extension of '.mxd'.

Name your first project

'Cartography by <your
name>'
 Instructions

3. Loading the data.

From the Catalog window,

click the connect to folder
icon.

A new window will appear

and from this window,
locate the data you're
going to work with.

After selecting the folder, a

new list should appear in
the Catalog list.
 Instructions

3. Loading the data.

From the Catalog window,

click the connect to folder
icon.

A new window will appear

and from this window,
locate the data you're
going to work with.

After selecting the folder, a

new list should appear in
the Catalog list.
 Instructions

3. Loading the data.

After selecting the folder

(GIS Training Folder), it
should now appear on the
Catalog.
 Instructions

3. Loading the data.

From the Training Folder

under the Catalog window,
you may see all the
subfolders when you click
the plus sign icon or when
you double click the folder
name.
 Instructions

4. Checking and Modifying your

chosen data.

For this example, Provinces

shapefile will be used.
 Instructions

4. Checking and Modifying your

chosen data.

To check the data associated

with your chosen shapefile,
click Open Attribute Table.

Let's assume that in this

example, we want to know if
what region does these
provinces belong.
 Instructions

4. Checking and Modifying your

chosen data.

We can see that a classification

of Region is associated in each
polygon of the Provinces
shapefile.
 Instructions

4. Checking and Modifying your

chosen data.

Close the Attribute Table

window, and again, right click
your shapefile layer, and select
properties.

A new window will appear.

Under the Symbology tab >
Show Pane, select Categories >
Unique Values
 Instructions

4. Checking and Modifying your

chosen data.

Close the Attribute Table

window, and again, right click
your shapefile layer, and select
properties.

A new window will appear.

Under the Symbology tab >
Show Pane, select Categories >
Unique Values.

From the value field, select the

data you want to reflect in the
shapefile.
 Instructions

4. Checking and Modifying your

chosen data.

Select one data, from the Value

Field Selector List. For this
example, Region name was
chosen. Click Add All Values.
notice that the blank window
now have a tabular data. This
window summarizes the distinct
values of your chosen Field.

To re-color the value (unique

region name), you may select
from the Color Ramp list.
 Instructions

4. Checking and Modifying your

chosen data.

You may see that the shapefile

layer changed its color
accordingly from modifications
in its layer properties.

You may also change the value

fields individually by double-
clicking the polygons before
each value.
 Instructions

5. Switch the map view into

Layout View and Choose the
Paper Size.
 Instructions

5. Switch the map view into

Layout View and Choose the
Paper Size.

To choose the paper size, we

want the map to be
plotted/printed. Click File >
Page Print and Setup
 Instructions

5. Switch the map view into

Layout View and Choose the
Paper Size.

To choose the paper size, we

want the map to be
plotted/printed. Click File >
Page Print and Setup. A new
window will appear, unchecked
the Use Printer Paper Settings
to freely choose the paper size.
Also, modify the orientation of
the paper if you want it to be
portrait or landscape.
 Instructions

5. Switch the map view into

Layout View and Choose the
Paper Size.

Upon modifying the paper size

and orientation and clicking
OK, a change has been made
and now you're ready to insert
different map elements.

But first, the distortion made

from modifying the paper size
should be corrected.

The Layout Toolbar, may help

you to zoom out/in the extent
of plotting paper area.
 Instructions

5. Switch the map view into

Layout View and Choose the
Paper Size.

Look at the figure, the data

frame (same as the Layers in
the table of contents) exceeds
the paper size. Adjust the data
frame to fit into the paper by its
side-and-corner control points.
 Instructions

5. Switch the map view into

Layout View and Choose the
Paper Size.

When the data frame changes

the view of the shapefile, you
may go back to the data view
to select the layer into its full
extent by right-clicking the
layer then select Zoom to Layer.

You may see that the figure did

not show the islands of Batanes
and the whole island of
Palawan.
 Instructions

5. Switch the map view into

Layout View and Choose the
Paper Size.

To view the extent of the

Provinces shapefile (whole
Philippines) You may go back
to the Data View, right click the
Provinces > Zoom to Layer.

This should show the whole

Provinces when you switch
back to the Layout View.
 Instructions

6. Adding Title to your map.

Most of the other elements of

mapping can be put in from the
Insert from the Menu Bar.

If you clicked any of those

under the Insert Menu, a new
window will appear. This
window allows you to select
and modify these map
elements.
 Instructions

7. Creating borderline and

neatlines.

For the borderline, you may use

the neatline. But, in some cases,
it is better to use the Drawing
Toolbar to create a hollow
rectangle to serve as a border.
 Instructions

8. Adding Scale/Scale Text and

the North Arrow.

This process is the same as

inserting other map elements
from the Insert Menu.
 Instructions

9. Add Author and other texts.

Author and other texts can be

inserted from the Drawing
Toolbar.

A different text
styles/alignment are also some
of the powerful features of
ArcMap for better cartography.
 Instructions
10. Customizing the legends.

Select Legends from the Insert

Menu. Upon selecting a
window will prompt you to
adjust the contents of the
Legends. The figure shows two
sub-panes namely Map Layers
and Legend Items.

The Map Layers Pane will enlist

all the layers from the Table of
Contents. The arrow buttons
directing to the Legend Items
Pane or vice versa, you may
include or omit some of the
layers you don't want to appear
in the legends
 Instructions
10. Customizing the legends.

Select Legends from the Insert

Menu. Upon selecting a
window will prompt you to
adjust the contents of the
Legends. The figure shows two
sub-panes namely Map Layers
and Legend Items.

The Map Layers Pane will enlist

all the layers from the Table of
Contents. The arrow buttons
directing to the Legend Items
Pane or vice versa, you may
include or omit some of the
layers you don't want to appear
in the legends.
 Instructions

10. Customizing the legends.

After selecting the Map Layers

we want in the Legends to
appear, continuously click Next
until the Legend Wizard will
exit.

This will give a default black

text of the Legends and Items
therein. This will also gives you
image of the Legend.

You may right-click the inserted

Legend to modify more of its
color, icon, text size, and many
more.
 Instructions

11. Adding Credit Source.

Adding credit source is also

similar in inserting Author and
other text, but if you used a
web-sourced imagery you must
select Dynamic Text > Service
Layer Credits.

From the Dynamic Text, you

may also include more vital
information regarding the
layers you include in the map.
For example standard mapping
of the government agencies
require the Datum and
Projection used in mapping.
 Instructions

12. Adding Locator/Inset Map.

A data frame is the same as the

Layers in the Table of Contents.
The "Layer" is the default name
of the default data frame which
appears in the layout view.
 Instructions

12. Adding Locator/Inset Map.

When you select Data Frame

from the Insert Menu, a new
blank data frame will appear as
well as another layer in the
table of contents named as
New Data Frame.
 Instructions
12. Adding Locator/Inset Map.

For example, We want the Inset

Map to be focused on the
Islands of Mindanao. We copy
the Provinces layer/shapefile
from the Layers to the New
Data Frame. Then from select
the New Data Frame window
and then switch to data view.
and zoom into the Islands of
Mindanao.

Note that if an element is

active, corner-and-side control
appear and if a data frame is
active, the name from the Table
of Contents appear bold.
 Instructions
12. Adding Locator/Inset Map.

Considering that we're focusing

on the Mindanao Islands in
another view and projected
from another data frame
(Layers), right click the Layer's
data frame and select
properties > Extent Indicator.
Move the New Data Frane to
'Show extent indicator of these
data frames.

Then click OK.

 Instructions
12. Adding Locator/Inset Map.

Notice that a red rectangle

encloses the inset map we want
to highlight.

From the extent indicator of the

Data Frame Properties, you may
change the properties of the
red rectangle from Options>
Frame...
 Instructions
13. Adding Grids

Select a data frame and right

click > Properties > Grids >
New Grid. A new window will
appear and select Next all
throughout this process until it
exits. This will create default
grid lines and will help to
visualize the grids if they are
too dense or not.

From the Grid tab, select

Graticule and click properties.
This will let you modify more of
the grids - its extents, lines,
ticks, text, etc.
 Instructions

From these activities, you may

now be able to lay out a simple
map.

Good Luck!