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Hello,
 
One of our grad students is needing to look at the placing of labels
(names, etc) on maps. He is interested in the "rules" and "conventions"
that relate to name placement and style (e.g. when do labels curve and
when are they straight? When horizontal and when inclined? When compact
and when spread out across an area? Where in relation to a point-feature
such as a town? Under what circumstances are labels "shielded" from the
underlying map detail? When are serif fonts used and when non-serif ones,
and what rules govern the use of multiple fonts in the same map? etc.).
While the interest relates to conventional mapping, nowadays we cannot
ignore the digital side as well, so he will also presumably need to see
how the "rules" translate into C-A cartography, GIS, and so on.
 
We know that this is an enormous subject, much debated and probably a
can of cartographic worms. I also know that there is a wealth of published
literature on the subject. But can anybody point us to *definitive*
point-of-entry references please?
 
Maybe, also, cartographers (and map curators) might like to offer their
own opinions / thoughts on this issue on MAPS-L? Is there sufficient
interest that a discussion of these topics on this forum is appropriate?
 
If you want to reply direct, rather than to the list, please could you
send copies to Ian ([log in to unmask]) as well as / instead of to me?
Shamefully he is not (yet?) a MAPS-L subscriber. I will, of course, pass
him anything that appears via the list. It may spur him into subscribing :-)
 
Go raimh maith agat
 
Darius Bartlett
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