How to Make a Map in Illustrator

Create a vector map in Adobe Illustrator.

Making a vector-based map in Adobe Illustrator is all about tracing. You can trace a map in order to make a graphic representation of a particular area. Map graphics are very useful for highlighting a specific location, for instance, if you need to display where an event happened or building location. Begin by grabbing a Google Map that you want to trace. You can zoom in on a particular part of the map to focus on the location you need.

Instructions

1. Log onto Google Maps. Enter an address or intersection that you want to display in your Illustrator map. Use the zoom arrows to show the exact part of the map you want to trace.

2. Perform a screen capture of the map. In Windows, press "Alt" and "Prt Sc" on the keyboard simultaneously. This will capture the entire screen that is showing. Open Microsoft Paint. Click on "Paste" to insert the screen capture into a new document. Crop the image as needed. Click on "File" then "Save" to save the file as a JPEG. Using Mac OSX, open "Grab" under "Application\Utilities." Select "Capture" then "Selection." Draw a rectangle over the map and save the selection as a JPEG file.

3. Open Adobe Illustrator. Choose "New Web Document" to open a blank canvas.

4. Click on "File" then "Place" to insert the screen capture of the map.

5. Determine what colors and strokes you want to use for the map. Select the "Line" tool to make different kinds of roads. Choose a swatch and draw a line in an empty area of the canvas. For example, you can make a yellow road with black outlines to represent a four-lane road. Make a white stroke over two thin gray strokes for a two-lane road and so on. Decide what colors you want to use for the background, such as green for grass and gray for sidewalks.

6. Create new brushes for each type of road. Select one of the road graphics you created, making sure all the strokes for the road are selected. Open the "Brushes" palette. Click on the options icon (small arrow) and select "New Brush." Choose "New Art Brush." Click "OK."

7. Enter a name for the brush. Choose any other options if you like then click on "OK."

8. Repeat Steps 6 and 7 for each road type. You'll be able to select each brush when you want to draw a particular type of road.

9. Select the "Pen" tool from the Tools palette. Click and drag to trace over the roads on the map image. In the Brushes palette, click on one of the art brushes you created to apply it to your traced road. Repeat this step until you've completed all the roads on the map.

10. Draw shapes in other areas of the map using the "Pen" tool. Click on the "Fill" tool to add color to the terrain.

11. Click on "File" then "Save" to save the map. Once you're done with the graphic, you can delete the map image you imported.

References

• Tutorial9: How to Make a Map in Illustrator
• Eduscapes: Screen Capture

Resources

• Google Maps