Positioning Names on Maps

Prof. Dr. Eduard Imhof, dean of European cartographers, has been an astute student of the esthetic-scientific characteristics of the cartographic method. In this paper published 13 years ago, he draws upon his long experience in map design and production to formulate a series of precepts about positioning or locating the lettering on maps in relation to the various functional aspects of the map and the individual named features. Noting that legibility and clarity of the map depend on good name positioning—each name having only one optimum position on the map—he encourages the use of a graphic draft of lettering to determine this position.