Making maps using Photoshop

Author: Jeremy Elford/jezelf.co.uk

PHOTOSHOP: MAP MAK !" : #A$ % #&A%K A!' () *E / A&P)A %)A!!E& MAP +,- &A*E- MAP *.*,- A&$ SKILL LEVEL : #E" !!EABOUT: *, %-EA*E + %* ,!A& MAP$ /though you can use these methods on real 0orld ones1 ) $*,- %A&&23 %,A$* & !E$ ,! ME' E4A& /A!' EA- &E-1 MAP$ (E-E !E4E- A$ A%%.-A*E A$ *)E ,!E$ 5M MAK !" )E-E 6 () %) A-E M,-E ,+ ()A* 2,.5&& "E* +-,M M,'E-! 'A2 $,.-%E$. 2,. %A! $* && A%) E4E *)E M,-E A.*)E!* % &,,K #2 .$ !" *)E E-A$E- A!' #-.$)E$ ,- + &*E-$ *, #-EAK ',(! *)E 'E*A &$. *) $ $ ,- "!A&&2 *, $),( P),*,$),P *E%)! 7.E$ *, MAKE $,ME*) !" 7. %K&2 A!' E++E%* 4&E2 ( *) $,ME A-* $* % & %E!%E. +,- -E+E-E!%E3 -E$EA-%) A!' +.-*)E- -EA' !" ) $*,- %A& A!' + %* ,!A& MAP$ )E-E A-E $,ME & !K$ + 2,.5&& & KE *, "E* $,ME 'EA$ #E+,-E 2,. $*A-*... ) $*,- %A&: ,''E!5$ #,,KMA-K$ / !*E-!E* ME' E4A& $,.-%E#,,K / MAP$ ,+ *)E EA-&2 ME' E4A& PE- ,' 8996:;99 A.'. + %* ,!A& : &E",&A$5 +A!*A$2 A!' ME' E4A& MAP$ / MAP6A6(EEK

f you5re not a complete <eginner3 or 0ant to skim through all the detail e=planation3 5>e highlighted the key parts3 so just look out for those. *)E + !A& -E$.&*:

*his is the final image3 <lack for the land and 0hite for the sea. 2ou can 0ork the other 0ay around3 found it easier to read this 0ay. All the other maps 5>e done use this process as the foundation3 so its good to start here if you5re ne0 to Photo$hop. /&arger image at end of tutorial1

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%reating the <asic image :.9: ,pen Photoshop and create a ne0 document +ile A !e0 A !ame it. A size dimensions: (idth :;99 pi=els and a )eight ?999 pi=els. -esolution for mine is left at @?. 2ou can put in any dimensions or resolution you like3 these are the ones used in this tutorial 0hich is roughly <ased on a page for a no>el. f you 0ant dou<le page3 then simply dou<le the 0idth as you e=pect. *he higher the pi=el resolution3 the more detail you can put in and the sharper it 0ill print out. Print for magazines and posters is usually at ;99ppi :.:: $elect your ne0 file. Make sure you ha>e the default <lack and 0hite as your colours. t doesn5t matter 0hich are foreground or <ackground. 2ou can click on the mini foreground and 0hite <ackground icon to reset to default colours. +ilter A -ender A 'ifference %louds 2ou can repeat this a fe0 times if you 0ant more comple=ity. %trlB+ is the short6cut to repeat your last selected filter. (e 0ill come <ack to this for other map tutorials. +or no0 5ll stay 0ith just the once <ecause it 0ill <e enough.

:.?: mage A Adjustments A *hreshold .se the slider to get the kind of detail you like. /see images <elo01 concentrate on the <lack as the land mass and the 0hite as the sea at this stage. ha>en5t mo>ed too far from the middle3 mo>ing it a touch so get a <unch of small islands as 0ell as the main land.

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:.;: (e are going to use this image a fe0 times later on so 0e need to preser>e it. n your layers palette3 name it something and duplicate it. 2ou can do this <y & click and drag to the ne0 layer icon. also created a ne0 group to keep things tidy for later. 2ou can do this <y clicking on the folder icon and then drag your files into the folder on your layers palette.

:.8: %reate a ne0 layer <et0een the t0o you ha>e in :.;. +ill it in 0hite. !o0 go to the layer a<o>e3 select your lasso tool. 'ra0 around areas you like. (hen you ha>e your selection3 cut it out and paste it <ack do0n /%trlBC3 %trlB41. it pastes it to a ne0 layer

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:.D: n your &ayers Palette3 change the <lending from E!ormalE to EMultiplyE. .se your Mo>e tool to position your section of land any0here you like. 2ou can use the layer you took it from to help you <e more creati>e <y o>erlapping <its3 gi>ing you more ideas. *his part can take time depending on 0hat you5re after. 2ou can click <ack to the original >ersion or your copy3 continuously cutting and pasting sections to <uild up your map. *ry and concentrate on coastline and islands3 later 0e5ll <e filling the <igger land masses3 so you just need to make a mental note for no0. let the map create itself and 0hat 5feels right5. 'on5t forget you can also use your transform tools to flip >ertically3 horizontally or rotate. *ry not to use scale tools to scale up3 though. it 0ill pi=elate the image and you 0on5t ha>e a consistent map. f you 0ant more detail at this stage3 <est start again and gi>e yourself a higher resolution image. *ransform tools can <e found at Edit A *ransform A -otate /or flip1

:.F: f you5re drying up 0ith coastline3 simply create another document the same resolution as your first /size dimensions don5t need to <e the same1 and go through :.9 to :.?. %hop <its out and paste them into your first map. Play around 0ith <oth !ormal and Multiply layer <lending3 see 0hat happens. 2ou can erase <its of the layers a0ay to create small features on your map3 <ut try not to ha>e the hard edge the eraser can make. f you find you ha>e one3 paste a long <it of coast line o>er the top. t5s also 0orth thinking a<out the purpose of your map at this stage. %reate natural har<ours or points of interest 0here opposing forces 0ould 0age a 0ar o>er strategic locations. Most %i>ilizations start up around ri>ers and coastlines3 so its good to put some forethought in. +or more authenticity3 you might 0ant to think <ack to prehistory of your creation. )o0 the continents mo>ed. *his tutorial is closer in3 so it5s more 0here land has <een flooded. t5s not 0rong if you don5t think a<out all this stuff no0 <ecause you can al0ays change it later if you 0ant to. f you are interested in this <it 6 gra< your nearest atlas and ha>e a look there for ideas.

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ended up 0ith :G layers and created a<out 8 6 D other documents as mentioned a<o>e3 continuously chopping and mo>ing rotating a<out. then merged all these layers together onto my 0hite <ackground. $till keeping the original3 just in case need it later. :.@: Easy <it. $elect your <rush tool3 <lack as your colour and fill in those land masses. 2ou can lea>e areas that could <e lakes and inland seas. f you don5t ha>e those3 don5t 0orry 0e5re onto those ne=tH

:.I: &akes -epeat steps :.9 to :.? <ut this time on the *hreshold play around 0ith it so you ha>e lots of lake looking <its. E,KE it3 then use your magic 0and tool to select the 0hite areas. %ut it out and paste it o>er onto your map document in an area you like. -epeat until you5re happy. /see images <elo01 2ou5ll soon disco>er that you can also use this part to create more interesting <its on your coastlines3 not just lakes. 2ou can create natural har<ours or re6arrange the coast line. 2ou can scale3 rotate 6 <ut only scale do0n3 not up or you5ll ha>e resolution issues. f you 0ant a <igger lake3 you can join parts together or do this part again and use *hreshold. 2ou can also go <ack to your first threshold layer /:.?1 and mage A Adjustments A n>ert if you spotted any cool shapes. %reate a ne0 layer <ehind the one you5re 0orking on and fill it 0ith <lack might help you if you5re chopping and mo>ing your lakes around on your merged layers.

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:.G: (hen you5re done merge do0n again so you ha>e your ne0 mapH E>en no0 you could mage A Adjustments A n>ert to change the map.

!ormally 0hite 0ould <e used as high ground and <lack as lo0 ground /this is e=plained in a later tutorial1 like to use <lack as the land as a personal preference for me3 as find it easier to read J totally up to you though. f you do choose to in>ert3 then you 0ill need to remem<er 0hat you ha>e as high and lo0 in the remainder of this tutorial.
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?.9 *erritory <oundaries and ri>ers /optional1 *o create territorial <orders3 go <ack to your first image mentioned at step :.;. .sing your magic 0and again click on a <lack area. (hile you ha>e your selection3 create a ne0 layer a<o>e your cool looking map and acti>ate it. Make sure you ha>e 0hite as your foreground colour. Edit A $troke A : pi=el ?.:: 'eselect /%trlB'1 and using your mo>e tool3 mo>e your layer around your map to section off your territories 0here you 0ant them. Erase3 cut and mo>e3 rotate 0here you see fit. 2ou can e>en use the edge of the document stroke as straight line to make hard line <oundaries as you get in American states. -educe the opacity to a<out ?9K.

?.?: +or ri>ers you can do a similar process. 'o the same thing you did a<o>e for the territories. *his time think a<out the ri>er shapes you need3 so you5ll pro<a<ly 0ant to a>oid making small islands and instead try going for more simple coastline shapes. .sing your magic 0and selection tool3 copy and paste the areas you like o>er to your map. *hen 0ith the ne0 layer /on your map1 acti>e and 0hile selected3 $troke it 0ith : pi=el. f you 0ant <igger ri>ers then 0hile you ha>e this all selected create a ne0 layer and the repeat <y stroking it 0ith more pi=el 0eight3 say ;. / illustration <elo0 sho0s copied image at a<out :9K opacity so you can see 0hat 5m doing. !ormally 0ouldn5t do this.1

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!o0 0ork into these layers <y chopping <its up and mo>ing them a<out so your ri>ers <ranch off. 2ou can use the same <its else0here on your map3 rotating them or flipping them 0on5t <e noticea<le at a glance3 <ut if you do 0ant to <e uniLue3 then keep repeating the a<o>e until you5re happy. f you do 0ant thicker ri>ers then smaller ones3 then 0ould suggest ; le>els 6 one of each pi=el 0eight and3 so you5re not o>er0helmed <y all these3 <reak it do0n <y concentrating on the thickest to thinnest at a time and delete anything you don5t 0ant 0ith your eraser. $ometimes it5s 0orth checking the atlas or !A$A satellite images to see ho0 nature does it to make it more con>incing.

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(hen using the eraser make sure the Mode is set to Pencil or that you ha>e a solid <rush. *his 0ay the <its you delete 0ill <e crisp and clean3 0ith a soft3fall off <rush3 it5ll gi>e a grey scale falloff 0hich 0ont gi>e you the <est result later 0hen adding the smaller <its. f you chop up the stroke layers into smaller sections3 so you can lasso around them and mo>e them o>er the ends of the larger ri>er mouths you just made3 it5s much more managea<le. ,nce you ha>e all the ri>ers sorted out like a<o>e3 merge those layers3 duplicate it. Put the <ottom5s opacity do0n some 0ay and this time use your eraser on the top one 0ith a <rush tool and a soft3 fall off <rush. partly delete a0ay the harder3 <righter inner ri>ers. &ea>e the parts near to the coastline. .sing t0o layers helps preser>e the ri>ers in case you 0ant them again. *hat5s a<out itH 2ou can go into as much detail as you like. *his is pro<a<ly not spot on in true geography terms3 so ho0 much research you 0ant to do is up to you. +or us laymen this is fine for our purpose. )ere5s my finished #M(3 Alpha Map. decided not to use the territory <oundaries <ecause 0anted to use the ri>ers instead. )ere5s the final result...

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