Tutorial: Creating a simple schematic transit map
By following this tutorial, you will learn to create a transit map that looks somewhat like an official transit map (but still probably wouldn’t be accepted by any transit agency). You are free to copy my map as you follow along, or alternatively, you can use a map idea you have to create a similar map. However, bear in mind that this map will be a schematic map based on a train network, as schematic maps pose a lower barrier of entry than geographic maps.
Creating the Document
Create a new document. Name this whatever you like. I have named it Perth Train Map (No prizes for guessing what my map is going to show.) For the purposes of this map, I have created the document with a width of 2520 pt and a height of 3564 pt, which is in the A4 (or A2 or A6 or whatever) aspect ratio. This is useful so I can later print it out with ease if I want to. Press Create to begin creating the transit map.
Setting Up the Grid
For schematic maps, you will need to use a grid for reference to place your objects. To show your grid, select View > Show Grid. (To hide the grid click View > Hide Grid.) You want to have your grid lines spaced by a useful length. For example, I have set my grid spacing to double the width of my route lines. To edit the grid spacing, select Edit > Preferences > Guides & Grid and adjust the value of Gridline every and Subdivisions. For example, since I have set Gridline every to 96 pt and Subdivisions to 8, my grid lines are spaced to every 12 pt.
Creating a Route Line
First, make sure that View > Snap to Grid is turned on, as well as View > Snap to Point. You will draw your route lines using the Pen Tool, which is located on the toolbar on the left of the screen. Click twice in different places to create a line, then press Esc to stop drawing the line. Now select the Direct Selection Tool on the toolbar, which is the second from the top of the toolbar. For the purposes of this schematic diagram, all of the angles will be in 45 degree multiples. So you can drag one of the anchor points (the points at the end of the line) until it is horizontal, vertical, or a multiple of 45 degrees.
Now that the structure of the line is complete, we will change the style of the line. Select the Selection Tool from the toolbar (the tool at the top), then select the line. At the top, you will see a toolbar, which we will call the Control bar from now on. At the very left of the Control bar, you will see a coloured box. This controls the fill colour of the line. Since it is a line, it will not have a fill colour, but rather a stroke colour, so select the [None] colour, which should be the first selection in the palette of colours. For the stroke colour picker (second from the left on Control), select whatever colour you find suitable for the route line. In this case, I have selected (29, 78, 140), which means that in the RGB colour model, the amount of red is 29, the amount of green is 78 and the amount of blue is 140. However, by clicking the stroke colour picker you cannot pick any colour you want, but rather only a specific selection of colours called your Swatches that you can edit from the Swatches window at the right of the screen. (I am assuming that you are using the Painting layout. To change to the Painting layout, click the dropdown menu near the top right which may say Essentials, then select Painting.) To select any colour you want from the stroke colour picker, hold down Shift before clicking the picker. You can pick the colour using your desired colour mode (such as RGB) by clicking the menu button at the top right of the colour picker. However, I do not recommend using this, for reasons that will be clarified in the next section.
Selecting Colours
I recommend that you use swatches for all of your projects, due to the Global Swatches feature that is available in Illustrator. With Global Swatches, all of the objects that use a swatch will change colour if the original swatch is edited to another colour. This makes it much easier to change a colour scheme since you would only have to edit the swatches rather than change the colour for each object.
The background for a transit map is traditionally white, or a pale colour. However, dark backgrounds have become more common in recent times and the advent of smartphones. The reasoning for the use of light backgrounds in previous times was that it was difficult to read in the dark. However, since maps are rarely in the print medium, dark coloured maps are now used, especially for digital maps or maps that are guaranteed to be used in well-lit places such as the inside of a train carriage. Brightly coloured backgrounds are discouraged as they generally distract from the map too much, and it makes the map difficult to read in general.
Colours should be selected so that colours of similar hue and intensity should not be placed close to each other as it will be difficult to differentiate between the two colours. For example, a navy blue and a dark indigo would be difficult to differentiate, especially if the map is being viewed at a small size.
Furthermore, the map should cater for colour blindness, as this is a quite common condition, and this severely impairs the reading of many transit maps. The map colours can be checked for whether they can be used by two major groups of colour blind users by selecting View > Proof Setup > Colour blindness — Protanopia-type and View > Proof Setup > Colour blindness — Deuteranopia-type. (Save this for later when you’ve finished the map.)
Drawing the Network
Now that you know how to style a single line interval, you can draw route lines with multiple corners. Just click at the start of the route, then at any corners, then at the end of the route, then press Esc, and you will have drawn a route line. Make sure that the route lines are all horizontal, vertical or at 45 degrees. Fix the anchor points using the Direct Selection Tool if needed.
A very common design aspect in transit maps is the curving of corners. Nearly all transit maps have round corners. To make the corners round, select the Direct Selection Tool, then select the anchor point in the corner that you wish to make round. On the Control bar, there should be a label saying Corners. Adjust the corner radius until it is as round as is desired. In my example, I have made the corner 24 pt. To make the roundness seem the same, the 135-degree bends should have a corner radius double that of the 90-degree bends. That is to say that in my example the corner radius of a 90-degree bend should be 12 pt.
Now that you know how to draw single route lines, a problem presents itself — how to create two or more parallel route lines. If you were to try to manually make them parallel, it would be very difficult to match the lines up exactly (and even then it would probably not really be exact, just appear to be). Luckily, selecting the route line with the Selection Tool then using Object > Path > Offset Path does most of the job for us.
If you want to split the route line into two parallel route lines, choose half of the width of the route line as the offset. For example, since my route line is 24 pt wide, the offset should be 12 pt. Also, make sure the Miter limit is 4 — it’ll look weird otherwise.
Next, select the path in the middle using the Selection Tool then delete it (press Del). Now select the Direct Selection Tool and click on the section of the path that links the two parallel paths, and delete it. Your screen should look something like below.
Now click on the background so that everything is deselected. Now directly click on the other small path between the two parallel paths and then delete it, and now you should have two distinct parallel paths.
You can now change one of them to a different colour by using the Selection Tool and changing the colour in the stroke colour picker. And now you have two parallel route lines that fit perfectly into each other.
Creating three parallel route lines will be a slightly different process. With the initial path, click Object > Path > Offset Path, but this time for the offset, enter the width of the route line. For example, since my route lines have a width of 24 pt, enter 24 pt as the offset. The lines should look something like this.
This time, don’t delete the middle path, but just delete the ends of the loop path like before using the Direct Selection Tool. The paths should look something like this if you select all of them.
Now using the Selection Tool, you can colour them different colours, and you’ll have three parallel route lines. If you hide the grid (View > Hide Grid) the paths should look much better. Almost like those sugary strips of candy we all used to love.
If you want to create a route with an even number of parallel routes, you just have to increase the offset by the width of the route line. For example, 2 routes would have an offset of 12 pt, 4 routes would be 36 pt, 6 routes would be 60 pt, and so on.
If you want to create a route with an odd number of parallel routes, you would also have to keep increasing the offset by the width of the route line. For example, 3 routes would have an offset of 24 pt, 5 routes would have 48 pt, 7 routes would have 72 pt, and so on.
If you want to leave a gap between the routes, just calculate the offsets by assuming the route lines are wider by the length of the gap. For example, if the route line width is 24 pt and the desired gap is 6 pt, 2 routes would have an offset of 15 pt, 3 routes would have 30 pt, 4 routes would have 45 pt, 5 routes would have 60 pt, 6 routes would have 75 pt, 7 routes would have 90 pt, and so on. The image below is of four parallel route lines. This will be useful later for the creation of a bus map.
Now that you know how to create the basic structure of the network, attempt to recreate my finished structure for Perth’s train system (or if you are doing your own project then create your own structure. When finished it should look like the below.
Note: There is a little tick at the end of the green line. I created this because the southern terminus of the green line is at a station which is also an intersection, unlike any of the other termini.
Another note: If you are thinking right now that the colour choices are terrible, it is only because the colours are the colours of the official Perth train system. If you are recreating my Perth Train Map, the colours for the lines, in RGB, are (127, 174, 65), (29, 78, 140), (225, 99, 38), (165, 43, 122), (231, 195, 46) and (239, 61, 74).
Using Layers
Using layers is an essential part of transit map creation (ok not really) because layers help to cluster similar objects together so that whole layers can be easily moved, hidden or locked (so no edits can be made to it until it is unlocked). Hiding is an important feature as it helps to edit particular parts of the map without the distraction of other parts of the map. For example, I have split my Perth Train Map into 10 different layers.
Creating the Station Markers
Next, I will begin creating the stations. I will have different symbols for the station depending on whether it is the central station of the network, an interchange station, a terminal station, or just a regular station.
Creating the Central Station Marker
There is often a central station in a transit map, and its station marker is often styled differently to other station markers. For example, in the Stuttgart VVS map from 2000 (shown below), the Hauptbahnhof is given special treatment.
In my Perth Train Map, I have depicted the central station (Perth Station) as a rounded square that has been rotated by 45 degrees. The colour of the square is (238, 71, 35). This square also manages to hide the messy overlapping ends of the route lines.
Next, I will label the station in a way that makes it stand out. In my Perth Train Map, I have used the regular 60 pt Big John font, which is available free of charge online.
Creating the Terminus Markers
Next, we will hide the other ends of the route lines with special terminus markers. You may choose to create your own terminus markers, as there is a great deal of design flexibility at this stage of the design process. There are many variations that the marker could look like. For example, it could be bordered or not bordered, its colour could match the route line or not, it could be many different sizes and shapes, etc.
In my Perth Train Map, I have chosen to make them 50 pt circles that are the same colours as their respective route lines. The circles can be created by holding down the Rectangle Tool button until a popout appears. Select the Ellipse Tool. Click and drag your mouse while pressing down the Shift button to create a circle. You can change the radius of the circle later by clicking Shape in the Control bar and changing the width of the circle. The circle can then be dragged until it aligns with the route line.
Creating the Interchange Markers
Again, there is a lot of flexibility in the design possibilities for an interchange marker. To replicate my Perth Train Map, first draw two circles with a 19 pt radius, align them along the route lines, then draw a rectangle. Then change the width, height and position of the rectangle so that it aligns with the centres of the circles. Then select all three objects and select Object > Group to group them. Lastly, use the Selection Tool to select the group, then change the colour to white, and set the Opacity to 50%. This interchange marker can then be duplicated so that it covers every necessary intersection. The only changes required are to change the angle of the interchange markers. To rotate the interchange marker by 45 degrees, select the group with the Selection Tool, then hover near a corner of the bounding box until the double-headed curved arrow appears. Then, holding down the Shift button, rotate the marker by the necessary angle.
Creating the Regular Station Markers
The regular station markers are obviously the most important to get right, as they comprise the majority of the stations on the transit network. The design of these station markers should be simple so that it does not cause the map to appear too complicated. A general guideline is that only simple shapes should be involved in the marker. The vast majority (~99%) of transit maps will use either dots or ticks (see the London Tube map) as station markers for regular stations. In my Perth Train Map, the regular station markers are just 19 pt circles with 50% opacity. The difficult part of the creation of the regular station markers is not the design, but rather the placement of the station markers.
To place the station markers nicely, put the station markers that will be at the start and the end of a section of the route line in their correct places. Then duplicate the correct number of station markers and place them somewhere between the start and end station markers. If the station markers are on a vertical stretch of the route line, select all of the necessary station markers, then click either Horizontally Align Left or Horizontally Align Right on the Control bar, whichever is appropriate. Do the same for horizontal stretches, but use the Vertically Align Top or Vertically Align Bottom buttons. For horizontal, vertical or 45 degree stretches, select all of the station markers on the route, then click Horizontally Distribute Centre then Vertically Distribute Centre, both of which can be found on the Control bar. The station markers should now all be on the route lines and spread out evenly.
Spacing on the Perth Train Map has been left on purpose for rivers to run past. All of the station markers have now been placed. The hardest work in the creation of the transit map has now been completed.
Creating Station Labels
Creating the Bolded Labels
Some of the stations in the transit network will naturally be special stations, so creating bolded labels for these stations will assist users of the map to identify large stations and interchanges. Normally, bold labels are reserved for interchanges, but since the Perth Train Map has limited numbers of interchanges, and all of the interchanges are gathered in the same general area, I have used bold labels for all of the interchanges as well as all of the stations from which trains depart regularly. Normally, the bolded labels are slightly larger and slightly bolder (or in technical talk, having a larger weight) than the regular station labels. To choose a suitable font, it is recommended to try a large range of possible fonts and see which one seems to fit in the most. For the Perth Train Map, the font used for the bolded names is Regular 40 pt Interstate, which can also be found free online. Later chapters will cover the issues of typography (the font) and label placement in more depth.
For now, the text can be written by selecting the Type Tool from the toolbar and then clicking in the desired location for the label. When you have finished typing in the name of the station, use the Selection Tool to select the label, then drag it to its correct location, then change the style of the label from the Control bar.
Creating the Regular Labels
You should know what to do by now. In my Perth Train Map, I have used the Medium 40 pt Geometric 415 font. After you have created the regular labels, the map is fully functional — but there are still a few more things to do before the map is fully complete.
Creating the Geography
Creating the Land
While a schematic map does not require any geographical features, it is still often useful to include a rough outline of landmasses and bodies of water in order to orient the user of the map. Use the Pen Tool to draw the outline of the landmasses. Then, use the Selection Tool to set the fill colour, not the stroke colour. In my Perth Train Map I filled in the landmasses with (230, 231, 232).
Once you have finished drawing all of the landmasses, you will notice that parts of the landmass will be hanging outside the artboard (that’s the white area in the picture). This is fine, as the final product will exclude everything that is outside the edges of the artboard.
Now, the Direct Selection Tool will be used to select each corner on the landmasses and adjust the corner radius so that the landmasses will look nice and rounded. Remember to have 90 degree corners have half the radius of 135 degree corners, and have the radius of 45 degree corners a quarter of the radius of the 135 degree corners. When two corners are too close to have the full corner radius, make the corner radius as high as is possible. In my Perth Train Map, my 135 degree corners have a radius of 96 pt, my 90 degree corners have a radius of 48 pt, and my 45 degree corners have a radius of 24 pt.
Creating the Water
Right now, the dreary white background could be much better if it was blue, or any other colour that could represent water.
Firstly, draw a giant rectangle that covers the whole artboard with the Rectangle Tool on the toolbar. (If you can’t find it, try holding down the Ellipse Tool button on the toolbar, then selecting the Rectangle Tool.) Using the Selection Tool, choose a nice calm blue colour as the fill colour of the rectangle. For my Perth Train Map, I chose (192, 231, 250).
Let’s get a little fancy here. The sea is a bit boring by itself. We need to create a pattern to overlay the sea to make it more interesting. Click Object > Pattern > Make to start creating the pattern. Inside the small box, draw a wave shape as best as you can. (I won’t teach you this. I’m sure Dr. Google will have many tutorials for you to watch on how to make realistic waves in Illustrator.) Now duplicate the wave several times and move the waves around the small box until the waves are spaced somewhat evenly.
Now select all of the waves by pressing Ctrl + A, then set the stroke colour to white. You won’t be able to see the waves anymore, but that’s only because they’re white. Click done at the top left to finish the creation of the pattern. Create another rectangle that covers the entire artboard using the Rectangle Tool. For the fill of this rectangle, select the pattern that you just created. (It should have been added to your Swatches.) Make sure this rectangle is in front of the blue rectangle so you can see the little white waves against the blue sea.
Adding the Title
We’re almost done! But no map is complete without a title; otherwise, we wouldn’t know what the map was for! You can make the title look as fancy as you can, but since there seems to be a rather empty part of the map at the top of the map, a nice big title would be well suited for this map. Since the map is a vibrant map that is not very serious, a colourful title should be included. In my Perth Train Map, I’ve put my title inside a circle with the colour (238, 64, 54). The title’s font is Regular 100 pt Jaapokki, which is also free.
I’ve also added my name at the top left corner of the map, so I can claim the map and boast about it if I ever need to (not that this map would be very easy to boast about).
And we’re done! That was easier than you expected, right?
