When cartographers talk about ''optimizing a computer display'', they're usually talking about how to see things better, i.e., remove fuzziness, ensure all the information is shown, etc. This contrasts with how computer technology folks use the term ''optimize'', which usually means make the screen display draw faster. Faster screen drawing has ...

Yesterday I got an email from a long time colleague showing me an online map and asking, “When will it be possible to do this map with ArcGIS”? The map is the interactive map of Washington DC at http://dc.everyblock.com. In particular my friend was looking at the crime map wondering how the proportional symbols showing crimes became disaggregated ...

This final part of the series will cover using cartographic representations for dashed lines, like the red and white cased lines in the image at the left, and for creating cul-de-sac or squared off ends to streets.  Both of these effects will build on the examples in the previous two portions of this series with one exception.  Because ...

Exporting to an external graphics package like Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia Freehand from the ArcMap environment can have its challenges. One positive aspect of exporting is the ability to make certain that CMYK values are retained for proper print color reproduction. Some of the challenges you may face after export are inconsistent vector ...

For many GIS users and cartographers, the use of external graphics software is a common step in his or her workflow and production of print quality maps. One of ArcMap's more popular export formats is the Adobe Illustrator (AI) export because of its wide compatibility with a number of graphics software packages. This export format was first made ...