Great, now we can edit this smaller map to contain just the pieces and info that we need. Then drag the map into the document and stretch it out using the arrows (while holding down Ctrl so that the aspect ratio doesn’t change). I also wanted the final image to be around 500×500 pixels, so you can set that custom size under File -> Document Properties. Right-click and select Ungroup to break it up into its components, then select just the map in the top right and copy it into a new document. The mini-map I wanted is in the top right corner, but if you try to select anything, it’s initially all grouped together (so if you click and drag, the entire document moves together). With Shift + and Shift – you can zoom in and out of the map. It’s straightforward to open map2.eps in Inkscape.

Fortunately, several images from the Census Atlas are available in EPS format near the bottom of this page, under “PostScript Map Files.” With access to such vector graphics, we can get started.įrom that website, I downloaded the “Location – Map 2″ file. To create a SVG file from this EPS, you’ll need a vector graphics program like Adobe Illustrator… or the open source alternative, Inkscape, which is what I used. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to track down any colleagues who know where to find the original shapefiles for this map. I have wanted a map like this for my own purposes, when mapping a variable for all 50 states and DC. the fine detail was smoothed out) but still recognizable, and DC was enlarged to be big enough to see. I particularly liked the small multiples of state maps, which were highly generalized (i.e. The following was inspired by the 300-page Census Atlas of the United States, full of beautiful maps of 2000 decennial census data. And while I’m at it, how could I turn down the opportunity to replicate Nathan’s Python approach in R instead? However, if you don’t have a SVG handy already and instead you want to repurpose a map from another vector format such as PDF or EPS, there are a few extra steps that can be done in the free tool Inkscape. I love Nathan Yau’s tutorial on making choropleths from a SVG file.

Save as eps inkscape