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Zip Code Maps

Last modified by Justin Morgan on 2019/09/29 18:04

About

This page will be dedicated to the process for making zip code maps in Adobe Illustrator.

Directions

Zip Map

  1. Take a screenshot of the main area to be illustrated.
  2. Take a screenshot of the same area again but zoomed in. This will need to be done in a patchwork pattern in order to get the full area.

Adobe Illustrator

  1. Create a new document in Adobe Illustrator
  2. Create a new layer named "Map Background"
  3. Place the first screenshot of the full map area on the artboard of the map on the new "Map Background" layer
  4. Size the map as appropriate and then lock the layer
  5. Create a new layer called "Tiled Map Background"
  6. Place all the other screenshots on the new "Tiled Map Background" layer
  7. If full-page or full-window screenshots were taken, clip the un-needed area from the image so that only the map area is visible
  8. Change the opacity of the tiled images to 50%
  9. Arrange the images so they are aligned to the image on the "Map Background" layer and so the borders are more-or-less aligned with the other images. It's fine if they do not align perfectly, just do it as close as possible.
  10. If you find that an area of the map is missing, go back to Zip Map and take screenshot or screenshots to fill in the missing area.
  11. Once the images are placed appropriately, lock the "Tiled Map Background" layer.
  12. Create a new layer and give it the name of the first zip code (doesn't matter which)
  13. Using the Pen Tool, trace the border of the zip code
  14. Pick a zip code neighboring the previous one and create a new layer with the zip code number as the layer name
  15. Begin tracing the zip code border with the Pen Tool until you reach the border of the previous zip code. In order for the borders to match exactly, we're going to use the Pathfinder tool.
  16. Instead of re-tracing along the same border a second time, you'll over-shoot the line into the area of the neighboring zip border.
  17. Select the first zip code border you traced
  18. Press Ctrl+C to copy the border
  19. Press Shift+Ctrl+V to paste it in place
  20. Select the first zip and the second zip
  21. Open the Pathfinder panel
  22. Press the Minus Front option in the Pathfinder panel
  23. The result should leave you with the second zip code border matching the background image perfectly
  24. You may need to move the border back to the correct layer