MapKit gives you the power to create custom maps quickly and easily. Coloring, labeling and other options enable the user to build useful, one-of-a-kind mapping.

For optimal use of MapKit, please refer to this User Guide.

Contents

1. New Map 2. Close Map 3. Save Map 4. Open Map 5. Select Tool 6. Print Map

7. Color Sampler 8. Paint Brush Tool

9. Shape Tools 10. Symbols Tool 11. Gridline Tool

12. Text Tool 13. MapKit Settings

14. Map Layer Options 15. Printing Options

16. Advanced User Options

MapKit Main Tool Bar Overview

1) New Map What it does: Selects a new map to customize. How it works: When clicked, the Open a New Map menu lists the available maps to alter. Click on a map to highlight it, and then click the Open New Map button below. The chosen map will load into the Map Stage.

Open a New Map Menu

2) Close Map Closes current map without saving changes* ** Please note map will close and not be saved- information and any edits will be lost ** 3) Save Map What it does: Saves altered maps. How it works: When this tool is clicked, the Save Map Window displays saving options. To Save, type in the preferred filename and click Save Map. The map with all your changes will now be available to make further changes or Print. To delete a saved map, contact Maps.com Customer Service for assistance.

Save Map Menu

4) Open Map What it does: Open a saved map. How it works: When this tool is clicked, the Open Map Window displays all the saved maps (see Figure 4). To Open a saved map, click on a map in the list to highlight it and then click Open Map. The map with all revisions will now be available for further editing or Printing.

Open Map Menu

5) Select Tool What it does: Selects elements or text. How it works: When this tool is clicked, the cursor changes to an arrow shape and selecting Shapes (circles, squares, etc.), Labels (diamonds, stars, etc.) or Text is made active. All three can be moved on the Mapkit Stage by using the mouse or the arrow keys. The arrow keys may be used for small movements, or for bigger moves that snap to the Grid, use the shift key in combination with the arrow keys. Shapes and Labels can be colored or re-colored, and their opacity changed. Graphic below shows active selected shape.

Example of Actively-Selected Object

6) Print Map What it does: Prints a saved map. How it works: When this tool is clicked, a new window is opened with printing options. Please see the Printing Options section for more details.

Map Printing Window

7) Color Sampler What it does: Samples existing colors from the Mapkit Stage and changes the current color (on the Color Options Palette) to the sampled color. How it works: When the Color Sampler icon is clicked, the cursor changes to an Eye Dropper. Click any color on the Mapkit Stage, note the cursor changes back to the Brush, and that color is ready to be used on the map. The opacity of the color can be altered by use of the Opacityy Slider 8) Paint Brush Tool What it does: Colors areas of the map. How it works: When icon is clicked, the cursor changes to the Brush shape. Choose a color from the Color Options Palette, then simply click on the area to be colored.

Color Options Palette

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Example of Area Colored with the Paintbrush Tool

9) Shape Tools What they do: Create Squares, Rectangles, Circles, Ovals and lines. How They Work: Click on the desired shape, and when moved over the Mapkit Stage, the cursor will change to cross-hairs. Click-hold on the Mapkit Stage and drag the cursor to obtain the correct size. Objects can be placed on or off of the mapped land area; they can be placed anywhere on the MapKit Stage. Squares, rectangles, circles and ovals may be filled with a color or unfilled, and the opacity of the fill can be adjusted in the Color Options Palette. To delete a Shape, make it active by using the Select Tool, and use Control-D (PC) or Command-D (Mac) to remove it.

Example of Circle and Square Shapes Added to Map

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Example of Line Shape Added to Map

10) Symbols Tool What it does: Creates circles, stars, rectangles and diamonds of various sizes. How it works: When this tool is clicked, the Symbols Tool Menu displays options for the types of symbols available. Note that the color of the symbols in the list is the current color displayed in the Color Options Palette, and changing the current color also changes the color of the symbols. Other options include having a Border on the symbol and varying the size of the symbol to Small, Medium or Large. Choose a symbol by clicking on it, and when moved over the Mapkit Stage, the cursor will change to cross-hairs. Click on the Mapkit Stage to place the symbol. Objects can be placed on or off of the mapped land area; they can be placed anywhere on the MapKit Stage. To delete a Label, make it active by using the Select Tool, and use Control-D (PC) or Command-D (Mac) to remove it.

Symbol Tool Menu

Example of Symbols Added to Map

11) Gridline Tool What it does: Toggles background Grid and Snap To Grid feature on and off. How it works: The default setting for the Gridline Tool is visible. For ease of alignment, Labels, Shapes and Text all Snap (a.k.a. automatically align) To the Gridlines. When the Gridlines are deactivated, the Grid in the background of the Mapkit Stage will disappear, and Labels, Shapes and Text will not snap to the Grid for more finite adjustment.

Example with Grid

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Example without Grid

12) Text Tool What it does: Places text on the Mapkit Stage. How it works: When this tool is clicked, the Text Tool Menu displays options for the Text Tool. To change the type face, size or style, simply use the pull-down menus and style buttons. To change the color from the default black, click on a color in the Color Options palette before clicking the Text Tool Icon. Type in the Text Box placed on the Mapkit Stage.. Text can be placed on or off of the mapped land area; it can be placed anywhere on the MapKit Stage. To delete or move Text, make it active by using the Select Tool, and use Control-D (PC) or Command-D (Mac) to remove it.

Text Tool Menu

Example of editing Text on Map

13) MapKit Settings What it does: Opens the Mapkit Flash Player Settings. How it works: Click on the Settings Icon to access and adjust the Flash Player Settings.

14) Map Layer Options What it does: Toggles on and off visibility of Pre-existing Mapkit Text and Formatting (ie US State and Capital City Names) and border layers. How it works: Just click on a layer name to activate or deactivate it. Active layers have an aterisk (*) in front of their name.

Map Layer Tool

Example of Map Layers On

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Example of Map Layers Off

15) Printing Options:

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Only saved maps can be printed. Open Saved Map What it does: Allows you to load a saved map into the Print Utility window. How it works: When this tool is clicked, a small window pops up with a list of saved maps. Click to highlight the map you would like to print and click “OK” (see Figure 8). Standard vs. Advanced Standard (or raster) graphics are fixed images, created in a specific size and are not enlarged without losing quality. Advanced graphics are created with mathematical equations that allow for scalablity without any loss of image quality. Standard Print What it does: Allows you to print a standard, average quality 8.5” x 11” map, with any color Transparency intact. How it works: When clicked, a window will open and you can alter your printer’s specific options, such as paper size or Orientation (Portrait or Landscape – see below) by clicking Preferences on PC computers. Macs may be altered through this window, or by going to Page Setup under Edit in your Browser and making the changes there. Choose your options and print. Portrait is the default setting for most printers and prints a vertical view of the map. Examples of maps that print best using Portrait orientation: Indiana, Illinois, Idaho, California, etc. Landscape works best for most maps in the MapKit and is a horizontal view of the map. Examples of maps that print best using Landscape orientation: Texas, New York, Tennessee, Colorado, etc. Advanced Print What it does: Allows you to print a high quality map, at any size up to 10’ x 10’ depending on your printer options. Because the Advanced Print format cannot render Transparency, all transparencies will revert to solid colors, see Advanced Preview for more information. How it works: When clicked, a window will open and you can alter your printer’s specific options, such as paper size or Orientation (Portrait or Landscape – see above)by clicking Preferences on PC computers. Macs may be altered through this window, or by going to Page Setup under Edit in your Browser and making the changes there. Choose your options and print. Advanced Preview What it does: Allows you to view what your map would look like in Advanced Print format. How it works: When clicked, a warning window will open cautioning that the Preview mode cannot be undone (see Figure 9), but no actual changes will be made to the saved map. To exit Preview mode you must re-open the map. This mode shows how your map will appear in the Advanced Print format, with any color Transparency being converted to solid colors. To Print, click the Advanced Print button and choose any size or Orientation options. Please Note: if you choose Standard Print the map will be an average image, and not a high-quality image.

16) Advanced User Options IMPORTANT NOTICE: Maps.com’s Mapkit Pro Edition was designed to produce personalized printable maps. Digital versions (PDF, TIFF, JPEG) can be derived from the maps you create. However, Maps.com does not provide assistance trouble shooting the production of digital versions. DIGITAL FORMATS: A special type of “printer driver” is required to produce a digital image from Mapkit Pro Edition. Typical formats available are PDF, TIFF, JPEG, and BMP (bitmap). HOW IT WORKS: When printing a map the printer driver will produce a digital image instead of sending the map to your regular paper printer. PDF: Adobe Writer is the standard software used to produce a PDF, however we found that PDFMailer is a handy product and is also free. When downloaded and installed the PDFMailer printer driver becomes a option during the printing process. When used the software places the PDF file into an outgoing email message using your email program. You can save this image to your desktop and close the email message. PDFs can be cropped using Adobe Photoshop. WHERE TO GET THEM: These products (and others) are available at www.download.com. Search for ‘pdf printer driver’ or ‘bitmap printer driver’ or ‘tiff printer driver’ using the search box located at the top of their home page. Make sure you conduct the search using the “In Downloads” options.