Help! (For national borders, longitude and latitude, and general details)

[Wiggles]

Hi, I'm new to the whole mapmaking thing and all, but I've made my first map by relgiously following this tutorial: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...n-–-a-tutorial

Now the map is finished and is looking pretty good for a newbie map- I want to add details and such but I have no idea how. I only just got photoshop, and I've been reading tutorials like crazy, but there are things I'd like help with...

1. National Borders- I want to make subtle, coloured national borders. There were great ones in this tutorial called 'Atlas Style' by Ascension but since I'd already followed Tear's tutorial to a tee I couldn't figure out how to work them in (not everybody is blessed with high IQ :S), since all the layers have different names and such. Can anybody help me with this?

2. Compasses- I've tried just copy pasting from google and stuff, then removing the white, but unsuprisingly this looks pretty lame, any pointers here?

3. Lines of Longitude and Latitude- I have no idea how to go about adding these.

4. Measurement- How would I go about adding a measurement bar? I did find one tutorial but it wasn't compatable with my version of photoshop.

5. Using Text- I've searched all over the place for good tutorials on text. My useage of text in photoshop is still pretty basic, can anybody link me up with a good tutorial?

Thanks for anybody who answers, I know I seem like a helpless noob, but that's because I am. If it helps at all, I have Photoshop CS7.

Below is my map so far.

[Hai-Etlik]

On a full world map (Small Scale), you need to be using a Mercator projection for a compass rose to be appropriate, and a scale bar will only be appropriate for an equidistant projection, in which case it will still only be appropriate for specific measurements (Through a certain point or along a certain axis)

The example map with the tutorial is in Plate Carrée projection. Direction is not preserved, and distance is only preserved along the vertical axis. The compasses and Rumb lines are inappropriate, though a simple north arrow would not be, and although you could arguably use a scale bar for measuring distances north-south, it would be misleading unless you added a note to indicate that restriction.

[guyanonymous]

For questions 2,3,4 I find Illustrator to be much better suited to the creation of each item (compasses, lines of l&l, scales) which I then import into ps and distort/modify further.

I believe inkscape is the opensource (?) approximation of Illustrator, but could be mistaken.

I believe that you can setup guides in PS to which you can snap lines/objects, but it would take a fair while to do for a full grid etc.

[Coyotemax]

Guyanonymous: in later versions of PS you can tell it to display a grid, and snap to the grid (very handy). I don't recall if PS7 has a grid or not, I believe it does - check Rulers and Measurements prefs to see if you can set up grid divisions, then under the View menu there should be a Snap To as well as a view Grid option to make life easier. You're right about inkscape

If one is going to paste in a compass, rather than delete the white try setting the layer to multiply, that'll deal with the white (also applies if you want to add clipart pieces for flavour).

For international borders, you might want to consider having your entire land shape as a single object on it's own layer (if you don't already). the easiest way off the top of my head at this point would be then to use the lasso tool (or pen if you're comfy with it) to cut the countries to their own layer. Once that's done, give them an inner glow effect and set fill to 0% so all you see is the layer effect.

[Wiggles]

Guyanonymous:
For international borders, you might want to consider having your entire land shape as a single object on it's own layer (if you don't already). the easiest way off the top of my head at this point would be then to use the lasso tool (or pen if you're comfy with it) to cut the countries to their own layer. Once that's done, give them an inner glow effect and set fill to 0% so all you see is the layer effect.

I have a few questions here. Is there any way to cleverly get the selection to adhere to my coasts? I used the magnetic lasso tool which worked well except it missed out little peninsulas and off-shore islands. On the subject of islands, how do I add them to my selection without putting borders in the see? The other problem I have here is that when I tell it to 'cut and make a new layer' the world gets all- for lack of a better term-boned, everywhere but my selection turns white.

On a full world map (Small Scale), you need to be using a Mercator projection for a compass rose to be appropriate, and a scale bar will only be appropriate for an equidistant projection, in which case it will still only be appropriate for specific measurements (Through a certain point or along a certain axis)

The example map with the tutorial is in Plate Carrée projection. Direction is not preserved, and distance is only preserved along the vertical axis. The compasses and Rumb lines are inappropriate, though a simple north arrow would not be, and although you could arguably use a scale bar for measuring distances north-south, it would be misleading unless you added a note to indicate that restriction.

Sorry, all the map-maker lingo confuses me- do you have a idiot proof version? My map is only a map of a subcontinet, if that helps at all, and I was thinking along the lines of one of those little ornate boxes with the measurement in it that says, for instance, 0 to 100 miles.

[Coyotemax]

Well, I tend to have many layers (literally, sometimes hundreds) and I always keep a backup of the land shape on it's own layer - simply a black and white with one colour being water, the other land. Then i can just magic wand the land colour when I want to get the basic land shape. The way you're talking, it sounds like you have your land and water on the same layer, and coloured all together?

You say you're using the Saderan tutorial - you should have a layer in the mix somewhere titled "Land" - assuming you haven't deleted it you can just use ctrl-click on that layer and it will auto-select your entire land shape, then you can create a new layer, fill it, and then go cut things onto new layers and proceed from there.

[Wiggles]

I still have the land layer. When you say 'fill it', fill it with what? Colour? Sorry, I'm really dumb >.> if you could maybe type up a little 1,2,3 type thing here I'd be muchos thanks. For now, have some rep.

EDIT:

Oh, you meant the fill thing beneath opacity. I still have no idea what else to do mind

[Coyotemax]

Excellent!! Okay, so you have your land layer. Reviewing the tutorial, it should be a white blob with transparent background right? I don't know your full capabilities withphotoshop, so I'm writing assuming you may not know each step (please don't take it as condescending, just being thorough - when I first found this site, I thought I knew photoshop well, I've at least tripled my knowledge of it since, heh)

1> Duplicate the layer (since it's already got the transparent background right click, then Duplicate should work, or use the menu command under the layer menu). Move this layer up so it's above your texture layers (drag it up, or a menu command under Layers to move it, you will find the commands under Layer->Arrange).
2> Use your lasso tool to cut out your first country. You can be sloppy when out in the ocean areas since there's nothing there (background is transparent). Inland, you might take a bit more care if you like. You can use the freeform lasso or the polygon lasso (see that little triangle at the bottom of the icon, you know that means you can change your tool right? right click to bring up alternate tools) depending on your preferences and what you find easier to follow terrain with. don't worry too much about accuracy at first, you can modify your selection (up top you see those boxes, some overlap others look like they cut - that's exactly what they do - click one of those and it will change the behaviour of the lasso... if you see a + attached to the mouse pointer, it will add to your selection, etc. You can now fine tune your border). Now go to your layer menu, tell it New, and Layer Via Cut. bam, first country on it's own layer You can cut out the rest of the countries in the same manner, just remember to go back to the copied land layer each time. For now...
3> You should right now be looking at a beautiful ocean, and a solid white land layer. In your Layer palette (that box where all your layers are labelled) near the top you will see a Fill option (sounds like you found that, excellent!). Set that to 0%. You should now see your land through the layer, the rest of your land will still be white right now. Now at the Bottom of the layer palette you'll see what looks like a little "fx" - click that and it brings a list of options, for now we'll select "Inner Glow". That will bring up the layer styles menu focused on the Inner glow, with the system default ready to go (and you should have a faint yellowish border that you can't see well except over the darker areas). Now is where the fun begins.

I like starting off with the following settings, top to bottom (skip past things i don't mention and leave them at default): Blend mode multiply, Opacity 50%, Colour Blue (any colour will do, really), Size 15. Note that if you click in the size box (or any other number box) you can use the arrow up and arrow down keys to fine adjust the numbers in increments of one (shift click for 10). Play with the settings until you get something that looks right to you (visible but no overwhelming). Repeat for each country layer with different colours. Keep in mind that most maps that use colour for border recycle the colours, you should never need more than 4 or 5.

If you still have troubles let me know

[edit] oh yeah, to make your life easier - once you have your first layer style in place and you're happy with it, you'll see on the right hand side of your layer in the palette a little "fx" - right click that then choose Copy Layer Style. Now right click in the same area on your other land layers and say Paste Layer Styles. Then it's just a matter of modifying the colours, rather than setting each one in from scratch.

[Wiggles]

Awesome! Thanks!

The only problem I have left is during the selection process.

I try using magnet, but that means I can't select islands and the inland borders look sloppy. I also have a problem where borders meet with getting them just right, any ideas for a solution for that? In a perfect world I hope to have borders that surround every bit of coastland and landmass and are seamless with other borders, is that possible?

Thanks for all your help! I need to spread more rep before I cna give you more >.>

[Coyotemax]

you don't need to use the magnet lasso - your land is white and the area around is transparent right? Magnetic lasso is for extracting things that are already merged with other layers, for example cutting a land shape out of an existing map that's not on separate layers. With the empty areas already around the coastline you do't need it.

If that's confusing, maybe try this: Control-Click the layer and see what happens. It should automatically select your entire land. Try setting your freehand lasso tool to remove selection (click the boxes up top until your cursor shows the minus sign attached to it) and then draw around the stuff you don't want as part of your first country.. that should deselect everything you don't want. Then use "new layer via cut" and proceed with layers.

By "Cutting" the selection to it's own layer, you leave everything else, which will line up perfectly with the other borders.

http://www.cartographersguild.com/at...7&d=1248812789 sows a good example of what i did using the process I initially described - remember, freehand, not magnetic

[edit] Even better: try following this: http://www.cartographersguild.com/sh...ll=1#post42424 - That's the tutorial i was using at the time, and has rather detailed instructions. I was using PS7 at the time I made the above map, so this should work for you just fine. Follow Step 8.