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Part VI: Cartographic Effects using Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator provides many ways to customize your map (finally, the fun part). A few of the more common (and simpler) effects are detailed on these web pages:

• Transparency (for features, text, objects...)
• Drop Shadows
• Halos for Text
• Inset Perimeter Outlines
• Blurred (Fuzzy) Polygon Edges
• Shoreline Vignettes
• More Effects...

Feel free to use more than one effect and/or to experiment with other effects. There are plenty of Adobe Illustrator tutorials online. You can also get help from the Student Tech Center. You can also peruse professional maps for cartographic effects you like and we’ll try to recreate them…