This GISer managed to transform her layout from a novice‑looking product to
a professionally designed product by following the steps and details described in
this chapter. Please note that she did not need to use all of the ideas presented in the
following sections, and neither do you. Some of these ideas you may use so much that
they become second nature, and others you will use only when a particular layout
needs them. You’ll also note that the time that it took for her to complete her initial
layout was a small fraction of the time that she spent creating her second layout.
In fact, the creation of a professional layout can be extremely time-consuming,
even for the most accomplished layout artists. Do not consider it unusual if your
unique 8.5-inch by 11‑inch masterpiece takes 40 hours to design, build, and print.
A poster‑sized layout could take anywhere from 40 to 200 hours depending on your
level of fastidiousness, familiarity with your chosen software, number of people who
provide input, and perceived audience size. (Notice I say “perceived audience size,”
instead of just “audience size.” The audience may indeed become much larger than
originally anticipated, especially if the map is designed well. Some of the layout ele‑
ment descriptions, such as date and network path, will provide more detail on how
you can set up the layout to provide adequate value to an unintended audience.)