It is somewhat ironic that for many years DeLorme has been instrumental in helping businesses and organizations migrate their data from paper maps to digital format while simultaneously integrating powerful printing functionality into XMap. Many seasoned GIS professionals, who build and maintain complex spatial databases, acknowledge that a printed map is often the best choice for sharing or distributing their GIS data.
XMap’s Print tab offers a wide variety of options for portraying your map data in its best possible light.
Step 1 – Compose Map
Before you print a map, adjust other XMap components.
- In the Map Data tab, turn the applicable base map data or imagery layers on or off as needed.
- In the Draw tab, fine-tune the color and style of any annotation objects or text.
- In the Map Features tab of the Options dialog box, turn off unneeded features in the USA Topographic or USA Street Level base map to reduce clutter. Select the Use Custom Features option to exert even more control over the items that appear on the map. Click the None button to display a completely blank map and turn on only the features that are appropriate. For instance, you can start with a map that shows just contours, a lat/long grid, and county borders over which you can then overlay your data.
- In the GIS tab, add all applicable layers to the Workspace, adjust layering, edit the legend heading and labels, and apply clear and intuitive symbolization.
Once the composition of the map is complete, click the Print tab and set up the print parameters.
Step 2 – Screen or Page
Determine if the print area is by the Page or by the Screen.
- The Screen option prints a map that exactly matches the geographic extent of the current map window at an undetermined scale.
- The Page option prints a map in which the geographic extent of the map is determined after you select the page size in the Setup dialog box and adjust the zoom level. A red box superimposed in the map window and in the overview map shows the geographic extent based on the current settings.
For maximum control over the quality of the printed map, use the Page option. If you simply need a quick what-you-see-is-what-you-get printout, use the Screen option.
With the Page option selected, the next step is to specify the actual page size in the Print Setup dialog box. Do this before you add custom features to the print layout or even before you determine the scale of the printed map. You may find that after selecting a bigger page size you can select a larger scale for the map while still covering the area you want.
Step 3 – Set Map Extent
After you enter the required page dimensions, adjust the Data Zoom Level and the Photo Zoom drop-down list in the Print tab to fine-tune the extent of the map. If you select the Print Preview check box while making this adjustment, it alters the magnification of the map so that the full extent of the print layout appears in the map window. Use the Select tool under the Layout Tools section of the tab to pick up and drag the red box to ensure that the required features fall within the print area.
After the print area is established, it is a good idea to select the Lock Print Center check box. This allows you to pan the map while maintaining the previously established geographic bounds of the print area.
Step 4 – Add Layout Items
To add print layout items to the map, click and hold the Layout Tools button. After you select the required tool, click the map window to place the item at the desired position. You can add the following items to the printed map:
- Framed Text - This is typically used for the map heading or for adding a text box to provide information about the contents of the map. You can modify the text size, color, and font.
- Unframed Text - This tool offers the same text options as the Framed Text tool but the results appear on the map without a bounding box.
- North Arrow - This is used to add a scalable icon showing the direction of true north on the map. The inclusion of this feature is essential if the map rotation has been altered. Note that two of the arrow style options include a second arrow indicating the direction of magnetic north. When placed on the map, the bearing of the second arrow reflects the magnetic declination at that exact geographic location.
- Scale Bar - Generally considered to be a required feature of any printed map, the scale bar is used to represent relative distance on the map. There are several style selections available, as well as options to denote the scale in a numeric format.
- Image - A common application of the image tool is to add a company or organization logo to the printed map. When you click the map, a browse window opens for selection of the image. The print tab reads the image file from its stored location, so if you move the image or rename the folder where it is located, you will have to add the image again.
- Legend - Often referred to as a key, the legend option is applicable only if a GIS layer is included on the map. A separate legend is added for each layer; select layers from the accompanying drop-down list.
Added layout objects are positioned relative to the page layout and are not attached to a geographic location. If you move the print box or if Lock Print Center is not selected and you pan the map, the items will also move.
Layout features are considered a component of the current XMap project. If you save your project after adding these features, each time you open the project and then open the Print tab, the previously added print layout items automatically appear. This function provides an opportunity to create a print template by assembling the most frequently used print layout items in a master project. For each individual map printout, you will still have to modify certain features, such as the heading and accompanying text; however, it is more convenient to edit a preformatted item than to add it from scratch.
Step 5 – Ready to Print
On the right side of the Print tab, there are three options for output or capture of the print area:
- Use the Print button to send the map to the previously selected printer.
- Use the Save button to save the map area as a bitmap or jpeg image file at a customizable dots-per-inch resolution.
- Use the Copy button to place the map on your clipboard, from where you can paste it into another application or file.
Data visualization and presentation have always been among the most import considerations when developing XMap functionality. It is no surprise, therefore, that the Print tab offers an extensive array of tools for creating the highest quality printed maps.
