There are many ways to emphasize certain objects on a map. One of the easiest
is to highlight the borders between the two objects. The classic example of this tech‑
nique is the application of a dark blue color to the edge where water features meet up
with land features. The dark blue color would necessarily be a darker blue than the
water feature itself in order to create the contrast. Other examples include differenti‑
ating the subject from the background via halos (white rings) or even color fade‑outs
along the shared feature edges. A halo, for example, around black text labels is a
common technique for making the text appear to pop out from the background of the
map. A faded color around the edge of a feature can accomplish the differentiation in
a more subtle manner. The goal of these techniques is always to provide the needed