Styling layers and making maps

Introduction

This module is designed to teach you the basics of symbology and map-making in QGIS.

By the end of this module, you should know: QGIS style elements, basic styling and symbology of rasters and vectors, and how to create printable maps in QGIS.

What you should already know

Since this is a beginner module, no previous knowledge of GIS or QGIS is required. However, familiarity with the QGIS interface (as discussed in Introduction to QGIS) and how to load different kinds of layers (as discussed in Introduction to Layers in QGIS) are preferred.

How do you style layers?

When it comes to styling layers in QGIS, there are two main approaches you can take: using the Layer Styling Panel or applying the style via the Layer Properties. Both approaches have their pros and cons, and the choice ultimately depends on your preference and the specific task at hand.

Using the Layer Styling Panel allows you to see changes in layer symbology in real-time, making it easier to experiment with different styles and quickly visualize the effects of your changes. This approach is especially useful when you need to quickly make changes to a layer’s appearance or create a simple style for a new layer.

On the other hand, using the Layer Properties have some functionalities that provide precise control over the layer’s symbology. This approach is useful when you need to create a more complex or custom style that requires more fine-tuning.

Fig. 1The Layer Styling Panel

Fig. 2Symbology using Layer Properties

NOTE

Which approach you choose depends on your preference. I tend to use the Layer Styling Panel more because it allows me to see the changes layer symbology quickly.

Style and symbology components

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

In this section, we want to:

1. Learn about common style and symbology components in QGIS.
2. Successfully import a style in the Style manager, create a custom color palette, and use built-in color ramps.

Style Manager

NOTE

Learn more about the Style Manager in the QGIS User Manual.

The Style Manager allows you to easily manage and organize styles for your layers and provides a central location for storing and applying custom styles—making it easier to maintain consistency across your projects. It can be accessed via Settings ‣ Style Manager in the Menu bar.

Fig. 3The Style Manager

With the Style Manager, you can create, edit, and delete styles, as well as import and export them for use in other projects. This can be especially useful if you have a large number of layers with different styles, or if you want to share styles with other users.

In the Style Manager, you can find the different styles for points (markers), lines, polygons (fills), color ramps, text formats, label settings, and legend patches. By using the Style Manager, you can have reusable and consistent style components—style can be created once, stored in the style manager, and used multiple times. The Style Manager also allows for sharing of styles between different users so one user can create a style and share it with others to use.

Importing styles

In addition to creating your own styles from scratch, QGIS also provides a convenient way to import pre-made style components into your project through the Style Manager. This feature allows you to import styles as files or URL. By importing these components into the Style Manager, you can easily reuse them in different projects and share them with other users. The Style Manager also allows you to organize your styles into categories for easier management and access.

Exercise 4.1

Exercise 4.1. Importing Styles into QGIS

7 steps

For this exercise, we’ll be importing the wonderful QGIS styles made by Topi Tjukanov (@tjukanov) available from https://github.com/tjukanovt/qgis_styles.

1. Download any style XML from the link above or download the entire repository.
2. Open the Style Manager via Settings ‣ Style Manager in the Menu bar.
3. Click Import/Export and select Import Item/s.
4. If you downloaded the qgis_styles repo by tjukanov, you can use File and select the necessary file.
5. Was your style added to the Style Manager?

NOTE

You can also add the styles via the URL of the style’s XML file. For example, the URL of the Pencilish style is https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tjukanovt/qgis_styles/master/collections/style_xml/pencilish.xml

6. Try to import a style from a URL.
7. Once imported, these styles become available in QGIS and can be updated and modified just like any other style.

The QGIS Style Repository

You can also get more styles at the QGIS Style Repository: https://hub.qgis.org/styles/.

The QGIS Style Repository is an online resource where users can access a vast collection of styles created and shared by the QGIS community from all over the world. These styles are available for download and can be easily imported into your QGIS project.

The repository features a variety of styles, from simple and minimalistic to highly detailed and complex, covering various mapping themes such as land cover, transportation, and water features. By exploring and utilizing the QGIS Style Repository, you can save time and effort in creating your own styles from scratch and have access to a diverse range of creative options to enhance your mapping projects.

You can try downloading the HLURB Land Use Categories And Color Coding (2014) fill style [https://hub.qgis.org/styles/62/] and Philippines Administrative Boundary Patches (Regions) legend patch [https://hub.qgis.org/styles/145/] that I shared there.

Fig. 4Styles shared by BNHR on the QGIS Style repository

Color Schemes or Palettes

QGIS allows you to create your own color scheme or color palette that easily gets integrated into QGIS’ built-in color selection dialogs. This is useful when you have a set of colors that you usually work with (i.e. branding) or if there are standard colors for the maps that you are creating (i.e. HLURB Land Use and Zoning Standards).

Exercise 4.2

Exercise 4.2. Creating your own color scheme or palette

10 steps

In this exercise we will create a new color scheme in QGIS that reflects the HLURB CLUP Guidebook Annex on Land Use Categories and Color Coding (HLURB_CLUP_Vol_3_Annex_1.pdf).

Fig. 5HLURB Land Use Categories and Color Coding sample

1. Open the Color Options via Settings ‣ Options ‣ Colors in the Menu bar.

Fig. 6Color options in QGIS

2. QGIS has some built-in color schemes. You may check them out by selecting them from the dropdown button. Initially, the Standard color color scheme is shown.

3. To create a new Color scheme, click the dropdown button next to the Color scheme selector and select New Palette. Name your new palette as HLURB-CLUP.

Fig. 7Create New Palette

Fig. 8Name the Palette

4. A blank color palette should appear with the name HLURB-CLUP in the dropdown button.

Fig. 9Blank HLURB-CLUP Color Scheme/Palette

5. Now we need to fill up our color palette. We can use the buttons on the right side of the dialog to do this.

6. Let’s add the colors from the HLURB Guidebook. Click Add new color (green plus button) to open the add color dialog. To add the Forest Zone category, add a color with RGB = 0, 100, 0.

7. Rename the Label to Forest Zone.

Fig. 10Add the Forest Zone color (RGB 0, 100, 0)

Fig. 11The Forest Zone color added to our Scheme/Palette

8. Do the same for all categories. In our case, let’s add a color for each Base zone (Bold Categories in the Guide) since the sub-zones have the same color as the base zone. In the end you, you should have the color palette below:

Fig. 12The HLURB-CLUP Color Scheme/Palette

9. Now, we can add this color palette to the QGIS color selection dialogs by clicking the dropdown button and checking Show in Color buttons.

Fig. 13Show the palette in the QGIS Color Buttons

10. Afterwards, this palette should always appear in the color selection dialogs in QGIS.

Fig. 14The HLURB-CLUP color palette appearing in the QGIS color button/dialog

Built-in color palettes and color ramps

QGIS also has a lot of built-in color palettes to choose from aside from the ones shown when selecting color palettes in the color selection dialog (e.g. raster symbology).

For example, QGIS has built-in cpt-city color palettes and even a palette creator using Color Brewer.

This option can be found by clicking Create New Color Ramp… when a color ramp dialog is present.

Fig. 15Create New Color Ramp

Fig. 16Color ramp types

Fig. 17cpt-city color ramps in QGIS

Basic vector symbology

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Learn about the basic symbology types for vectors and successfully apply them.

Symbology is how the layer appears visually on the map, and it plays an important role in making the map informative and easy to read. In QGIS, there are different types of symbology that you can apply to vector layers, depending on the data type.

For points, lines, and polygons, there are several basic symbology types available in QGIS.

The first type is a Single Symbol, which means all features in the layer will appear the same. This is useful when you want to display simple datasets or when you want to show a basic layer with a uniform appearance.

The next symbology type is Categorized, which is ideal for categorical data. With Categorized symbology, a feature’s appearance is based on the value of one of its fields. For example, you can assign different colors or shapes to different categories, such as land use types or administrative boundaries.

Another symbology type is Graduated, which is useful for numeric data. Graduated symbology adjusts the appearance of features based on the value of one of their fields. You can use this to show population density, elevation or any other continuous data. Graduated symbology helps to visualize differences in data by using different colors or sizes for the features.

Lastly, Rule-based symbology is another type available for vector layers. With Rule-based symbology, you can define a set of rules that control the appearance of features based on multiple attributes. For instance, you can use rule-based symbology to apply different colors, shapes or sizes to features that match specific conditions.

There are also other symbology types that are specific to points, lines, and polygons. Using the correct symbology type will help you create a more visually appealing and informative map.

To change a vector’s symbology you can:

• Right-click the layer ‣ Properties or
• Use the Layer Styling Panel (F7)

For Exercises 4.3.X, you will use the bnhr_qgis_essentials_04.gpkg inside the data subfolder in the BNHR_QGIS-Essentials_Module_4 folder.

Exercise 4.3.1

Exercise 4.3.1. Applying a Single Symbol symbology

5 steps

PRO-TIP

To see the completed exercise, open the single-symbol.qgz project inside the projects folder.

1. Load the amenity_hospital_osm and the ncr_admin_boundary layers.
2. Select the amenity_hospital_osm layer in the Layers Panel.
3. On the Layer Styling Panel, select Single Symbol and select the topo hospital marker.

Fig. 18Applying a Single Symbol symbology to the amenity_hospital_osm layer

4. Apply a Single Symbol symbology to the ncr_admin_boundary layer as well.

NOTE

When using the Layer Styling Panel, you can specify which layer is being styled by making it the active layer in the Layers Panel (the current highlighted layer) or by selecting the layer in the drop-down menu at the top of the panel.

5. Your map canvas should look similar to the one below.

Fig. 19The amenity_hospital_osm and the ncr_admin_boundary layers with Single Symbols

Exercise 4.3.2

Exercise 4.3.2. Applying a Categorized symbology

5 steps

PRO-TIP

To see the completed exercise, open the categorized.qgz project inside the projects folder.

1. Load the ncr_ground_shaking_phivolcs layer.
2. Open its attribute table and notice the values. We have features with their corresponding intensities.

Fig. 20Attribute table of the ncr_ground_shaking_phivolcs layer

3. Apply the following symbology.
   • Type: Categorized
   • Value: Intensity
   • Color ramp: Viridis
4. Click Classify

Fig. 21Categorized symbology parameters for the ncr_ground_shaking_phivolcs layer

PRO-TIP

Don’t worry if the layer disappears when you select a new symbology such as Categorized. You need to click Classify first.

NOTE

You can delete the all other value symbol by selecting the symbol and clicking the red minus button on the bottom left of the panel.

NOTE

You can also edit the Legend which is the text that appears in the legend in the Print Layout.

PRO-TIP

If you can double-click something in the QGIS UI, it usually means that you can edit that value or parameter.

5. Your layer should look like below.

Fig. 22Categorized symbology applied to the ncr_ground_shaking_phivolcs layer

Exercise 4.3.3

Exercise 4.3.3. Applying a Graduated symbology

6 steps

PRO-TIP

To see the completed exercise, open the graduated.qgz project inside the projects folder.

1. Load the ncr_municities layer.
2. Open its attribute table and notice the values. We have the population for each municity based on the 2020 census (pop2020).

Fig. 23Attribute table of the ncr_municities layer

3. Apply the following symbology.
   • Type: Graduated
   • Value: pop2020
   • Color ramp: Reds
4. Click Classify
5. Edit the parameters to make it have more sense.

Fig. 24Graduated symbology parameters for the ncr_municities layer

NOTE

You can edit the classification such as the number of classes, the kind of mode for the classification (Equal Count, Equal Interval, Fixed Interval, etc.), and others.

You can also set the values manually by double-clicking on the Values for each Symbol.

6. Your layer should look like below.

Fig. 25Graduated symbology applied to the ncr_municities layer

PRO-TIP

Other kinds of symbologies are discussed in the QGIS: Advanced Styling and Symbology course.

Basic raster symbology

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Learn about the basic symbology types for rasters and successfully apply them.

When working with rasters, there are different ways to represent them visually, depending on their type and the purpose of the analysis. Here are some of the symbology types commonly used for rasters:

Multiband color: this symbology utilizes multiple bands of the raster to create a composite image that can show different combinations of colors or brightness values. It’s useful for visualizing multispectral or hyperspectral data, such as satellite imagery.

Paletted/Unique values: this symbology is useful for styling classified or categorized rasters, where each pixel value corresponds to a certain category. It assigns a color to each unique pixel value, based on a user-defined color ramp.

Singleband gray: this symbology applies a grayscale color ramp to a single band of the raster, which can be useful to display elevation data, for example.

Singleband pseudocolor: similar to the paletted symbology, this symbology applies a custom color ramp to a single band of the raster. It allows the user to create a smooth transition of colors between pixel values, rather than a discrete mapping.

Contours: you can generate contours directly from rasters. Contour lines are isolines that connect points of equal elevation, and they can be useful for creating elevation maps or visualizing terrain features.

Hillshade: this symbology applies hillshade shading to the raster, which simulates the effect of sunlight on a terrain surface. It’s very useful for elevation rasters, as it can enhance the visual perception of relief and slopes.

For Exercises 4.4.X, you can find the necessary files inside the data subfolder in the BNHR_QGIS-Essentials_Module_4 folder.

Exercise 4.4.1

Exercise 4.4.1. Applying Singleband pseudocolor symbology

4 steps

PRO-TIP

To see the completed exercise, open the pseudocolor.qgz project inside the projects folder.

1. Load the ncr_municities and ncr_popden_meta layers. The ncr_popden_meta is population density data from Meta’s high resolution population density maps.
2. Apply a single color symbology to the ncr_municities that uses a light color as fill (e.g. white).
3. Apply the following symbology to the ncr_popden_meta layer:
   • Type: Singleband pseudocolor
   • Band: Band 1 (Gray)
   • Min: 1, Max: 100
   • Interpolation: Linear
   • Mode: Equal Interval, Classes: 4
   • Edit the values of the 4 classes to read: 0, 20, 50, 100

Fig. 26Singleband pseudocolor symbology parameters for the ncr_popden_meta layer

4. Your map should look like below.

Fig. 27Singleband pseudocolor symbology applied to the ncr_popden_meta layer

NOTE

You can try to modify other parameters in the Layer Styling panel to see what they do.

Exercise 4.4.2

Exercise 4.4.2. Applying Paletted/Unique values symbology

4 steps

PRO-TIP

To see the completed exercise, open the paletted.qgz project inside the projects folder.

1. Load the ncr_municities and ncr_lulc_esri layers. The ncr_lulc_esri is 10-meter resolution land cover data obtained using satellite imagery (ESA Sentinel-2) and composite land cover predictions released by Esri in 2020. It is composed of 10 discrete land cover classes.
2. Apply a single color symbology to the ncr_municities that uses a transparent fill and a white stroke.
3. Apply the following symbology to the ncr_lulc_esri layer:
   • Type: Paletted/Unique values
   • Band: Band 1 (Gray)
   • Add values manually by clicking the green plus button. You need to add 11 values/classes from 0 to 10.
   • Edit the color and Label for each Value. (You may choose not to edit the Colors to save time)
     1. Water
     2. Trees
     3. Grass
     4. Flooded vegetation
     5. Crops
     6. Scrub/shrub
     7. Built Area
     8. Bare ground
     9. Snow/Ice
     10. Clouds

Fig. 28Paletted/Unique values symbology parameters for the ncr_lulc_esri layer

PRO-TIP

If you don’t know the number of values or classes you have, you can just click Classify and it will load all unique values in the layer for you.

4. Your map canvas should look like below.

Fig. 29Paletted/Unique value symbology applied to the ncr_lulc_esri laye

PRO-TIP

You can copy-paste styles by right-clicking on the layer ‣ Styles ‣ Copy Style… You can then paste the copied style to layers of the same data type/geometry.

Exercise 4.4.3

Exercise 4.4.3. Applying Contours symbology

4 steps

PRO-TIP

To see the completed exercise, open the contours.qgz project inside the projects folder.

1. Load the albay_srtm_4326 layer. This is a digital elevation model (DEM) that is an output of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) in 30m resoulution. This layer is in the WGS84 CRS (EPSG: 4326).
2. Load a basemap such as OpenStreetMap.
3. Apply the following symbology to the albay_srtm_4326 layer:
   • Type: Contours
   • Contour Interval: 50
   • Input Downscaling: 5.0

Fig. 30Contours symbology parameters for the albay_srtm_4326 layer

NOTE

The contour interval defines the difference in elevation between two lines. The smaller the interval, the more detailed and accurate the representation of the terrain’s elevation.

The input downscaling controls the level of detail shown in contour lines. It allows you to reduce the density of contour lines by specifying a factor by which to reduce the resolution of the input data. It’s worth noting that reducing the resolution of the input data can also result in some loss of detail and accuracy in the contour lines

You can also edit the color of the contours.

4. Your map should look like below.

Fig. 31Contours symbology applied to the albay_srtm_4326 layer

Exercise 4.4.4

Exercise 4.4.4. Applying Hillshade symbology

6 steps

PRO-TIP

To see the completed exercise, open the hillshade.qgz project inside the projects folder.

1. Load the albay_srtm_32651 layer. This is the same layer as albay_srtm_4326 only in a different CRS (EPSG: 32651 – UTM Zone 51N).
2. Apply the following symbology to the albay_srtm_32651 layer:
   • Type: Hillshade
   • Band: Band 1 (Gray)
   • Altitude: 45 ˚
   • Azimuth: 275 ˚
   • Z Factor: 2.0

Fig. 32Hillshade symbology parameters for the albay_srtm_32651 layer

NOTE

The altitude, azimuth, and z factor parameters are used to control the shading effect of the raster layer.

• Altitude refers to the angle of the sun above the horizon and affects the amount of shadow created. A higher altitude means the sun is higher in the sky and creates shorter shadows.
• Azimuth is the direction of the sun, measured in degrees clockwise from north. It affects the direction of the shadows created.
• Z factor is a scaling factor that adjusts the elevation values of the raster. It is used to correct for vertical exaggeration or compression and affects the intensity of the shading. A higher Z factor will make the shading more pronounced, while a lower Z factor will make it less intense.

3. Your map canvas should look like below.

![Hillshade symbology applied to the albay_srtm_32651 layer(../../../assets/img/essentials/04-4.4.4-hillshade-02.png)

Figure 33. Hillshade symbology applied to the albay_srtm_32651 layer

4. Now load the albay_srtm_4326 layer.
5. Copy the style from albay_srtm_32651 and paste it to albay_srtm_4326.
6. Do they look the same?

CAUTION

When creating hillshades from an elevation model, it is very important to note the coordinate reference system used. The appropriate Z-factor is dependent on the CRS. If the CRS uses the same units as the elevation values—i.e. elevation is in meters and CRS is a projected CRS in meters (EPSG: 32651)—the Z-factor becomes equal to the amount of vertical exaggeration.

However, if the CRS is not in the same units as the elevation values—i.e. elevation is in meters and CRS is a geographic CRS in units of latitude and longitude (EPSG: 4326)—the appropriate Z-factor is a ratio and is dependent on the latitude of the location. You can look for the appropriate values by searching for a list online and interpolating for intermediate latitudes.

Fig. 34Hillshade for albay_srtm_4326 layer with the same parameters as albay_srtm_32651

Advanced symbology and styling

PRO-TIP

These topics are not covered in this module by they are discussed further in the QGIS: Advanced Styling and Symbology course.

In addition to the basic symbology types, QGIS also offers advanced symbology and styling options that can enhance your maps and visualizations.

Learning advanced techniques in QGIS is essential for those who want to take their geospatial analysis and mapping skills to the next level. Advanced symbology and styling techniques allow users to create more visually appealing and informative maps while also providing greater flexibility and control over how data is represented.

One of these techniques is Geometry Generators which allows you to perform spatial operations directly within the symbology itself. This means you can create new geometries, modify existing ones, or perform calculations without having to create a new layer.

Another advanced feature is Data-defined Overrides which allows you to override symbology parameters using fields, expressions, or other variables. This means you can create dynamic styles that change based on the data in your attribute table. For example, you can use data-defined overrides to adjust the size or color of a point symbol based on a numerical field in your attribute table. To assist with data-defined overrides, there is an Assistant that helps you change how the data is applied to the parameter for each feature for some parameters using Data-defined override

Draw Effects is another advanced styling feature in QGIS that allows you to apply different visual effects to layers. These effects include drop shadows, inner and outer glows, blurs, and embossing, among others. Draw Effects can be accessed through the Layer Properties dialog, specifically under the Symbology tab.

QGIS also has Blending Modes, which are special rendering effects applied on layers, features, and print layout items. These modes can add interesting visual effects to your map, such as blending one layer into another or making a layer appear transparent. You can experiment with different blending modes to create unique and visually stunning maps.

Finally, you can utilize Expressions in creating your styles.

QGIS also allows you to fine-tune your styles using Rules and Scales or create 3D and Temporal visualizations.

You can combine all these techniques to create the map or visualization that is most appropriate for your need.

PRO-TIP

You can try out some of these techniques below:

• Mapping icebergs in QGIS: https://bnhr.xyz/2019/02/08/mapping-icebergs-in-qgis.html
• Creating colorful hillshades in QGIS: https://bnhr.xyz/2019/01/22/hillshade-in-qgis.html

Making printable maps

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

In this section, we want to:

1. Learn how to make maps and export them to printable formats.
2. Successfully create and export a map using the Print Layout.

Creating maps is probably the most popular and most known function of a GIS. In fact, a previous module, we mentioned that map making is usually used interchangeably with GIS. Of course, we know this isn’t technically true but that doesn’t diminish the importance of the ability of a GIS to create maps which allows us to visualize and communicate spatial information in a clear and understandable way.

In this module, we will look at the basics of map making in QGIS.

Exporting the Map Canvas

If you simply want to print the content of the map canvas, this can be done through: Projects ‣ Import/Export ‣ Export Map to Image.

Fig. 35Exporting the contents of the map canvas

You can add some minimal decorations to the map canvas like grids, title, a north arrow, and scale through: View ‣ Decorations.

Fig. 36Adding some decorations to the map canvas

Fig. 37Map canvas with some decorations (grid, north arrow, title, scale)

PRO-TIP

Use this technique instead of getting a screenshot. It results in better quality images.

This technique is useful for quick and simple maps but if we want to create a fully-featured map and take advantage of the power of QGIS as a cartography and map design application then we need to use Print Layouts.

Using the Print Layout

You can create and manage Print Layouts through Project ‣ Layout Manager. You can also create a new Layout using Project ‣ New Print Layout.

Print Layouts are stored together with the project and each project can have multiple layouts. This is useful if you need to create different map layouts with the same data or layers.

PRO-TIP

Learn more about the Print Layout in the QGIS User Manual.

Exercise 4.5

Exercise 4.5. Creating printable maps

14 steps

PRO-TIP

To see the completed exercise, open the print-layout.qgz project inside the projects folder.

For this exercise, we want to create a map that shows the population density in Metro Manila.

1. Load and style the ncr_popden_meta and ncr_municities layers. Your map canvas should look something like below.

Fig. 38The ncr_popden_meta and ncr_municities loaded and styled

2. Create a new Print Layout via Project ‣ New Print Layout (CTRL + P) and name your Print Layout.

Fig. 39Naming a new Print Layout

3. This will open the Print Layout dialog/window where you will layout your map.

Fig. 40The Print Layout window

NOTE

The Print Layout contains a Map Canvas in the middle, toolbars and buttons on the left and top of the canvas, and a panel on the right. The toolbars allow you to add map elements like texts, images, legends, scale bars, etc. Meanwhile, the panel on the right allows you to edit the properties of these objects. If you are familiar with other graphics management applications like GIMP or Photoshop, the Print Layout is similar.

4. To edit the paper/layout size, right-click on an empty area of the canvas ‣ Page properties.

Fig. 41Setting the page size and background

5. Add a map to the layout by clicking and dragging to create a rectangle that will hold the map in the canvas.

6. Map layout elements (e.g. maps, images, scale bar, texts) can be moved, resized, etc. with .

Fig. 42Map added to the Print Layout

NOTE

By defualt, what appears on the Map canvas will be what’s reflected on the maps added in the Print Layout.

CAUTION

This default behavior can be overridden in several ways such as locking layers and styles or using Map themes under the Layers parameter in the Item Properties.

Both these approaches are discussed further in the QGIS: Maps and Layouts course.

NOTE

On the right panel, the Items panel shows an ordered item list (i.e. items on top will cover items below them) similar to the Layers panel.

The Layout, Item Properties, and Guides tab allows you to edit a selected element. Most of the time, if you need to edit or modify your element, you can do so with the options in these tabs.

7. Add a title to your map by adding a text element and edit the text by editing the options in the Item Properties panel.
8. Under Appearance in the Item Properties tab, you can edit the font properties.

Fig. 43Editing font properties

NOTE

QGIS can utilize fonts available on your machine.

Fig. 44Title added to the layout

9. Add a legend with and edit it in the Item Properties panel.

Fig. 45Legend properties

NOTE

A legend is linked to a map.

PRO-TIP

To manage legends better, uncheck the Auto update checkbox and manually add, remove, or edit legends using the toolbar buttons below Legend Items in the Item Properties.

PRO-TIP

If you’re bored of the same old legends, you can try using legend patches to make your legends more unique.

QGIS also allows you to only show the legend for items inside a linked map or inside a current atlas feature. This capability is very useful when you need to create data-driven legends or legends that update depending on what is shown on the map.

These topics are discussed further in the QGIS: Maps and Layouts course.

Fig. 46Legend added to the map

10. Add a north arrow with and edit it in the Item Properties panel.

Fig. 47North arrow added to map

11. Add a scale bar with and edit it in the Item Properties panel.

Fig. 48Scale bar added to map

12. Add another text element to include other information to your map.

Fig. 49Another label containing information added to map

PRO-TIP

You can use dynamic texts and expressions to make your text elements/labels be dynamic. For example, you can add dynamic texts for the project name, project author, CRS used, etc. You can also add values based on feature attributes.

This makes creating data-driven maps easier.

13. Export the map via the Layout menu or the following buttons: 

Fig. 50Exporting the map

14. You can specify your preferred export options.

Fig. 51Export options

NOTE

Generating a world file will make your map georeferenced.

Fig. 52Output map

As a challenge, you can try to update/upgrade the map by adding a table of the total population per city/municipality from highest to lowest.

Fig. 53Map with table

Advanced map-making techniques

PRO-TIP

These topics are not covered in this module by they are discussed further in the QGIS: Maps and Layouts course.

Advanced map-making techniques help you make better maps more efficiently. Below are some techniques that you should learn:

• Preview modes allow you to simulate how your map will look like in different scenarios such as how it would look like photocopied, faxed, or if viewed by someone with color blindness.. This is very useful especially for creating visually-inclusive maps.
• Map themes are snapshots of a your map which saves information related to the layers on your map such as their visibility and symbology. They allow you to quickly switch between different configurations of the layers in your map. Also, since map themes are available in the Print Layout, they allow you to create map items based on the themes and independent of the current rendering or appearance of the main canvas. This is extremely useful when adding multiple maps in a layout (e.g. insets, etc.).
• QGIS Atlas allows you to automatically create a series of maps using a single layout. A properly configured QGIS Atlas will save you countless hours. This is particularly useful if you are creating a series of maps such as those for different regions or time periods.
• QGIS Reports are similar to the Atlas capability but with more functionalities. With Reports, you aren’t constrained to just creating maps. You can add sections of texts, images, etc. Reports can even have other reports nested inside them. You can think of Reports as Atlas on steroids.

Quiz and discussion questions

1. What is the difference between Categorized and Graduated Symbology?
2. Why is knowing the CRS of a layer important when applying Hillshade symbology to a raster?
3. Which way of applying symbology do you prefer—using the Layer Styling panel or through Layer Properties—and why?
4. Although maps are usually created in landscape orientation, QGIS can also be used to create visualizations and materials in portrait orientation. How would this affect your planning and implementation with using the Print Layout.

Homework challenge

There is a jollibee_mcdo_osm layer in the geopackage for this module. There are also logos for both fastfood chains under logos.

Load the layer together with ncr_municities in QGIS and try to recreate the following map. Tip: utilize Raster image markers.

Fig. 54Jollibee and McDo in NCR map