1.3.4. Label Placement

As we mentioned in a previous chapter, the names of the objects and landscapes that are represented in a map belong to the content of a topographic map. The placement of these names is not that easy as it seems to. Some placement rules have to be followed.

There exist three label types:

Point Labels The placement is basically horizontal. In maps with small scales, the names can be placed along the parallels.

Point Labels (Räber 2005)

Line Labels The placement is parallel to the line, high bends should be avoided. Long lines should be named more than once.

Line Labels (Räber 2005)

Area Labels If possible, the names must be placed into the area. If the area name cannot be placed horizontally, the name must be bended.

Area Labels (Räber 2005)

The labels of point symbols should be placed at the same position in the entire map. Because it is not always possible to place the names in the same position there exist an order of priority for the label placement. The priorities are numbered from 1 to 8.

Order of priority (Räber 2005)

Depending on the scale factor of a map, the label type may change as it is shown in the next image:

Label Type is dependent on the scale factor (Räber 2005)

One important point in the field of label placements is that labels must not be headfirst as it was done in the following example!

Some labels are headfirst (Bundesamt für Gewässerkunde)

If you want to read more about label placements have a look at the GITTA lesson "Theory of Lettering Maps".