In this short guide, we share some insights and tips for designing maps. Our goal is to cover important concepts in cartography and flag the important decision points in the map-making process. There isn't always a single best answer in cartography, and in those cases we've tried to outlinesome of the pros and cons to different solutions.

This is by no means a replacement for a full textbook on cartography; rather it is a quick reference guide for those moments when you're stumped, unsure of what to do next, or unfamiliar withthe terminology. While the recommendations on these pages are short and not loaded with academic references, please appreciate that they represent a thoughtful synthesis of decades of map-making research.

This guide is maintained by Axis Maps, originally adapted from documentation written for indiemapper. However, the content here is about general cartography principles, not software-specific tips.