Often when we are faced with presenting the results of an analysis we wonder if the
analysis extent should be the same as the visible map extent or if we ought to include
the surrounding geography in order to provide context, even though it may detract
from the central focus. For example, let’s say you’ve analyzed which households will
be impacted by a proposed tax increase within a town’s boundaries. Do you display
just the town, given its irregular border, or do you show the houses that lay outside
the town boundaries as well, out to such an extent that the map becomes a square or
rectangle shape? A few techniques are used to solve this problem. You can decide
to either clip out all the outlying areas, leaving the map to “float” within the rectangular or square area that the page requires or you can decide to include the other
areas. Another technique is to include the analysis extent plus the outer boundaries
but generalize the data in the outer extent. Another is to provide the context while
still maintaining the focus on the analysis extent by changing the outer extent to
a faded or semitransparent look. This last technique gives the analysis extent a
popped‑out effect.