Making Maps that Look Great Using QGIS and Inkscape

Purpose

The purpose of this tutorial will be to show the user how to create a map in QGIS, then import it into Inkscape as a scalable vector graphic (SVG), where they will edit its appearance. This will allow the user to create an aesthetically appealing map, with visual features beyond what could be created using QGIS. To provide an example of this, the user will be guided through the creation of a map of Canada. The goal will be to provide them skills transferable to any maps they make in the future, all while using free open-source software.

Introduction

After reading the purpose you might be asking yourself “Why bother? Aren’t the default settings in QGIS good enough?”. This introduction will attempt to answer those questions.

The first priority when making a map should be conveying the information you want to convey, however from there improving the aesthetics of the map can improve its quality significantly. Often attractive design will go hand-in-hand with clarity of information. Not only will working on design improve the visual appeal of a map, it can help it convey the information better. Kent et al. (2013) provide a great explanation of aesthetics and design in cartography and their importance, stating:

"Maps are created for many purposes, from navigation to nostalgia. If we are concerned with good cartographic design, we are interested in making maps that are more effective in serving their purposes, both in how they function and in how they look. Design is therefore relevant to many general elements of the map, such as color, typography, generalization, visual balance, and layout, as well as the character and shape of the symbols themselves. Simply put, good design is getting the balance of all the graphical elements on a map to work harmoniously. It is also important to consider that function and appearance are intertwined. The function of a map will drive many of the design considerations the cartographer makes, but beyond that there is also considerable scope to address the look and feel of a map. In cartography, aesthetics is about the visual effect of a map—its partic¬ular “look”—which is constructed from the interplay of the graphical elements. Aesthetics is a highly debated issue; opinions are strong and varied and there are no universal rules, even though when we say a map is “beautiful” we believe that others ought to agree with us." (pgs. 13-14)

A well designed and aesthetically pleasing map has many advantages over one where aesthetics were not a priority. It can look more professional, draw the viewers attention, convey information more effectively, or invoke certain impressions in the viewer, to name a few.

There are no universal and unbreakable laws of cartographic design, or design in general. Often the best choice is the one that simply looks right. While the quality of a design is ultimately subjective, having an strong aesthetic sense improves one’s ability to decide what looks good and what doesn’t. This can be developed through formal education and through experience in map making, however there are ways to improve without either of these.

Simply looking at maps made by others is a great way to improve your ability to create attractive maps. If you are unsure about an aspect of you map, look at how someone else did it and integrate what you see into your design. A great resource for this is www.cartotalk.com. On this website you can look at maps posted by others, and post your own maps to receive feedback from their community.

Principles of design and cartographic design have both been written on extensively. Reading up on these will give you ideas of concepts you should consider while designing your maps. The following are a few links to articles on principle of design:

• Design Principles for Cartography
• 8 Basic Principles of Design to Help You Create Awesome Graphics
• Labeling and Text Hierarchy in Cartography

These offer up some principles that you can use to guide your design. You don’t have to go over every one of them with each map you make, but it can help to keep them in mind. Some more specific cartographic elements that you should consider when creating map layouts are:

• Colour: You should select colours that compliment each other, draw attention to the important parts of them map, and convey the intended message. Looking at a colour wheel can help you determine which colours go together, but experimenting to see what looks good also works. Colour can be used in text, backgrounds, fills and outlines of objects, or any other part of a map.

• Text: Picking the right fonts is important to the design of a map. A font should be easily legible, look good and fit in with the theme of the map. Computers have many fonts preinstalled, but sometimes you can’t find the right one for the job among them. Luckily there are many sources out there for quality free open-source fonts. One of these is Google Fonts. To install fonts from here, find one you like, download and unzip it, then right-click the TrueType file for the styles you want and select “Install for all users”. The font should then be useable in QGIS, Inkscape or any other software. In addition to selecting a font, choosing its size, weight and colour is also important to determine where it stands in the visual hierarchy.

• Composition: The arrangement of the components of your map is integral to the impression it gives the viewer. A map where everything is placed deliberately and effectively will have a sense of balance to its appearance, without which the map will look sloppy. Finding the right composition for a layout requires experimentation, and there is usually more than one possibility for balanced arrangements.

• Map Elements: Each element of a map should be carefully considered. This can include the data frame, title, scale bar, legend, north arrow, inset map, etc. They should be consistent and unified in there appearances to ensure the final product looks cohesive. Editing these in QGIS can be an laborious process, but Inkscape lets you fine-tune them manually, giving you much more control over their appearance and opening up new possibilities.

Hopefully this section has answered the question of “Why bother?” and explained the importance of aesthetics in cartographic design. It should also have given a conceptual basis in map design, that can be used in accompaniment with the technical skills that will be taught in this tutorial, to create maps that look good.

Software

This tutorial will use two different free open source programs; QGIS and Inkscape.

If you do not already have QGIS, it can be downloaded here. Version 3.4 will be used in this tutorial, though other versions should work just as well. It will be assumed that the user already has a basic knowledge of QGIS. Detail will not be provided on how to set up a project, or extract data from a shapefile. If you would like to learn more about these things, there are plenty of resources on the internet, including on the QGIS website.

The design side to this tutorial will use Inkscape. Inkscape is a free and open-source design software which allows users to work with vector graphics. Transitioning from QGIS to Inkscape will give the user much finer control over the design of the map, but without losing any quality, as it is works with vectors just like QGIS. Using Inkscape, you will be able to manually edit every element of the map. It can be downloaded here.

This tutorial will assume users have little to no experience with Inkscape. It will explain some of the tools within the software that can be used to improve your map designs. Inkscape has tutorials on their website if you would like more information, there are also many tutorials to be found elsewhere on the internet.