Cartography & map design
The decisions that turn a correct plot into a map someone can read: hierarchy, colour, labels and export.
Everything on Spatial Workflow about cartography & map design, in the order that usually works: understand the idea, then run the task, then fix it when it goes wrong. 21 guides in total.
2 learning paths run through this topic — follow one if you would rather work through a route than pick a single guide.
🧭 Start with the concepts
The ideas the how-to guides below assume you already have.
- Visual Hierarchy Explained: What a Map Reader Sees First map visual hierarchy
- Colour on Maps Explained: Sequential, Diverging and Qualitative map colour schemes
- Labelling Explained: Why Automatic Map Labels Collide map labelling explained
- Which Map Elements Are Actually Required map elements required
- Map Scale Explained: How Much Detail a Scale Can Hold map scale detail
- Accessible Maps Explained: Contrast, Text and Alternatives accessible maps
- Counts, Rates and Densities: What a Demographic Map Should Show map counts vs rates normalize
⚙️ Then do the task
Step-by-step walkthroughs with code you can copy and adapt.
- How to Choose and Test a Colour Ramp in Python colour ramp python map
- How to Check a Map for Colour-Blind Readers colour blind map check
- How to Label Map Features Without Overlaps in Matplotlib label map features python
- How to Add a Scale Bar and North Arrow to a Python Map scale bar north arrow python
- How to Build a Print-Ready Map Layout in Matplotlib print map layout matplotlib
- How to Export a Map at Print Quality: DPI, Vector and Fonts export map print quality
- How to Add an Inset and Locator Map in Python inset locator map python
- How to Make a Map Series with Consistent Symbology map series consistent symbology
- How to Build a Reusable Map Style Module reusable map style python
🔧 When it breaks
The errors this topic produces, with the cause explained rather than just the command.
- Fixing Map Labels That Overlap or Get Clipped map labels overlap
- Fixing Map Text That Is Too Small in the Exported File map text too small export
- Fixing Missing or Substituted Fonts in an Exported Map PDF map pdf fonts missing
- Fixing a Map Export That Is Hundreds of Megabytes map export file too large
- Fixing Map Colours That Change Between Screen and Print map colours print differ
Learning paths through this topic
A curated route rather than a list — the guides in the order that builds on itself.
Related topics
Subjects that keep coming up alongside this one, most overlap first.