Open a file called raw_gold_map.ai, which contains contoured gold density data. The previous geologist for the Au Exploration Company was fired (disappeared entirely, in fact) because of the quality of this map. It was so poor, it didn’t convince investors at a meeting that they found a good gold prospect, and the company lost money. As the new geologist you must prove yourself to your employer (CEO's photo to your left), by creating a properly designed map.  You should use color.

In Explorer, I right click the file, 'save target as' to my flash drive, and then open the file in Adobe Illustrator.

If you recognize this individual (the CEO), you know the price of failure!  If you do not recognize him, ask a colleague.  Our marching band sometimes plays the theme of the film in which he appeared.

These are the map elements such as title, scale, border, symbols and other marks that affect the overall communicative ability of the map.

Design elements: Make the isolines appear as figures. They should placed highest in the visual hierarchy, do this by making them a solid color and a larger point size than other data on the base map. If control points (such as the data itself) appears on the map make it a 50% black so visually it does not interfere. Isoline labels should not be used to excess, easy to read, not upside down, the labels should go with the flow of the line. You will be using hypsometric tinting in the lab, where the area within the contour line is filled with color, and the color indicates the value of the data.

Type Placement If a grid is rectangular, keep the type parallel to it, if it is curved, curve the type. For labeling points, the preferred position for type is upper right of the object (small circles in this case). For linear features, type should be above it, and if possibly paralleling the feature. Names in areal features (i.e. an ocean) should be l e t t e r s p a c e d so as to reach the boundaries of the feature.

Fonts are a complete set of characters of one size and design of a typeface which includes numerals and other characters. The term roman refers to the text being upright, such as what you are reading right now, as opposed to italic, where the text is slanted. Italic is often used on maps to indicate hydrography. On a single map try to use only one font, but vary its size and weight and slant. If you use two different fonts, pick two that are quite different. What I usually do is use times italic for all hydrography and use helvetica or arial for everything else.

pebbles on a deserted island of different colors

first divided into color and no color

arrange achromatic light to dark - a lightness scale (value)

divides them into different colors (hues)

takes each hue and line them up from light red to dark red, however they may have the same lightness, but colors are different, these refers to the amount of gray in the rock or chroma.

Hue These are the names we give to the various colors.

Value is the quality of lightness or darkness of achromatic or chromatic colors. For black and white maps, use no more than 5 different values, where white and black are included.

Chroma also called saturation, by adding more and more pigment to a color until it is fully saturated and the color looks pure and contains no gray.

Contrast in color maps is just as important in black and white maps. Imagine a map all in red colors or all gray – boring!

Good color combinations are useful for developing figure and ground organization on the thematic map. Combinations of color from best to worst are: (figure on ground colors) yellow on black; white or blue; black on orange; black on yellow; orange on black, black on white; white on red; red on yellow; green on white; orange on white; red on green. For legibility of colored lettering on colored backgrounds, the most legible are: (object on background) black on yellow; green on white; blue on white; white on blue; black on white; yellow on black; white on red; white on orange; white on black; red on yellow; green on red; red on green.

Use color sparingly, with bright bold colors for objects that are to be readily apparent. For backgrounds you want lighter more subtle colors.

Contrast you want the data on the map to stand out, this can be achieved by using contrast. Such as varying line weights, fills, textures and value contrast (like the 3-D squares in last lab). Objects in front of others also produces a hierarchy

Land and Water Contrast either use a different tone for water or land, or varying the geographic grid (absent over water?), but contrast between the two is important.

Below are examples of two maps submitted previously.  Look them over carefully.  Which do you like better, and why?  Please try to improve on the better map. not simply try to reproduce it.

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