Map Outlines

Shadow Knight

Say I've got a question for those especially skilled map makers.

How do you guys get those outlines on your maps? You know how it wraps around say a country at a darker color (see maps by Ampersand or Legolas for examples of what the hell I'm talking about).

Is there an easy way to do it or do I need some kind of special program to do it?

Thanks!
 

Colonelgoth

Shadow Knight said:
Say I've got a question for those especially skilled map makers.

How do you guys get those outlines on your maps? You know how it wraps around say a country at a darker color (see maps by Ampersand or Legolas for examples of what the hell I'm talking about).

Is there an easy way to do it or do I need some kind of special program to do it?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

You mean the whole de jure/de facto thing from the UCS?
 

Sapiento

Legolas

The way I do it (in Photoshop) is this:

1) Using the magic wand, select the country area, all of it.
2) Create a new layer.
3) Go to Select -> Modify -> Contract and choose the width of the outline that you want.
4a) Either fill your current selection with another colour (in this case, you don't really need the new layer) or
4b) Invert selection, then fill everything with the outline colour your want, then go to your previous selection in the lower layer, invert that, and delete the new fill. What you are left with is the outline.

I prefer the second method, because that means I can then apply fancy effects to the outline much easier.
 

Shadow Knight

Sapiento said:
It's an option in Photoshop. With this tool you can create easily such borders and areas. I use it frequently for my own maps.
Click to expand...

Yes but sadly I do not have Photoshop.

Rubberduck3y6 said:
There's also an 'outline' tool in Paint.net under 'effects' > 'stylize'.
Click to expand...

Yes I discover this but I do not know how to use it.

euio said:
This thread has a few different ways to do 'em by various cartographers.
Click to expand...

Thanks man I knew there was one out there somewhere but my search for it failed and thus this thread. :)

Legolas said:
The way I do it (in Photoshop) is this:

1) Using the magic wand, select the country area, all of it.
2) Create a new layer.
3) Go to Select -> Modify -> Contract and choose the width of the outline that you want.
4a) Either fill your current selection with another colour (in this case, you don't really need the new layer) or
4b) Invert selection, then fill everything with the outline colour your want, then go to your previous selection in the lower layer, invert that, and delete the new fill. What you are left with is the outline.

I prefer the second method, because that means I can then apply fancy effects to the outline much easier.
Click to expand...

Thanks!
 

Legolas

If you don't have Photoshop, you can do this using Gaussian blurs in Paint.NET, euio's link gives the necessary information :)
 

Shadow Knight

Since you guys helped me out an all I thought I'd throw out a teaser of a sorts. Let me know what you think:

Untitled.png
 

Nekromans

For those GIMPers among us not aware: wanding the country and setting Gaussian blur does this. Fiddle with the blur thickness until you find one you like.
 

Nugax

Nekromans said:
For those GIMPers among us not aware: wanding the country and setting Gaussian blur does this. Fiddle with the blur thickness until you find one you like.
Click to expand...

Or fuzzy-select>>shrink selection for an even quicker method ;).

Nice map SK, though I think it could do with a touch of anti-aliasing on your main fill/outline interface.
 
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