How do I make road atlas style street maps?

[paroxysm]

I have downloaded Inkscape... and failed to notice how it is different from CS4 or Paint.NET. Anyway, I'll trust you that it is. Is there a tutorial anywhere about that would help me in the process of making said map?

[RobA]

I have downloaded Inkscape... and failed to notice how it is different from CS4 or Paint.NET. Anyway, I'll trust you that it is. Is there a tutorial anywhere about that would help me in the process of making said map?

I'd start with the Inkscape Manual to get a feel for the program and how to use it. Making the map is then just a matter of building it up in layers:

Labels
Grey Highways
Yellow path Roads
White Roads
(not on the map but grey industrial, etc.)
dark green parks
light green with blue stroke land
blue sea

To make roads (i.e. yellow with a black outline) use the path tool to draw the roads in black, then combine them all into one path. Duplkicate that path and change the stroke colour to yellow, and reduce the width by 2 pixels. This will give you the "outlined road" effect.

As many cities are on a grid, make use of the inkscape grid capability. You can have multiple grids and even axiometric angled grids.

-Rob A>