Cartographic Principles

Before pursuing my GIS certification, I didn’t know anything about cartographic principles. All aspects of a completed map, including size and design of the compass, scale bar units, and annotations of features, have been ingrained into me.

Below is an informal map displaying the differences between labels and annotations:

Labels are preferable when the map doesn’t need to be so polished or when it’s used informally. The Monroe and Miami-Dade county names are labels. Annotations are different from labels where each text can be physically moved around on the map and can be adjusted to compliment the feature. The visitor center callout box is an annotation and can be moved around.

You can expect to create quality maps with my in depth knowledge of cartographic principles.