Add words, places and a little meaning

Settle the map before placing the details

Choose your place and theme, then use Format to set the physical size, orientation and frame. Drag and zoom the map to find the composition, and use Lock map when you want the view to stay still while you work. Unlock map lets you adjust the geography again.

Text and shapes sit on the artwork, while markers identify positions on the map. A substantial change to the view can alter their relationship, so check the whole composition after reframing. Check the available geography in the editor; decoration tools do not add missing map data.

Give the words a clear place

1. Open Text and choose Add text. Write the main text, with a secondary line or coordinates if useful.
2. Choose a text layout such as a centered title or corner caption, or use free positioning. Drag the text directly on the artwork to place it.
3. Adjust the title, subtitle and coordinate typography separately. Check size, colour and alignment against the map beneath them.

Use theme typography restores the theme’s typographic starting point for your text. You can then refine the curated font choice, size and spacing. A divider or a restrained background can separate words from busy geography, but a shorter title often needs less decoration.

Mark a place, not every place

Open Decorate, choose markers and select Add marker. Click the location on the map, then choose a symbol, size, fill and outline. Add a label if the symbol needs context. A house can mark home; a flag can mark an arrival. One strong marker usually reads more clearly than several competing symbols.

Drag a marker on the map to move it, or use Reposition on map to pick a new location. Keep its label clear of nearby text and attribution. If you are showing a journey, let the route carry the sequence and reserve markers for the places that deserve emphasis.

• Draw a route between meaningful places →

Use shapes as accents or map cut-outs

In Decorate, add a shape and choose its use: an overlay sits on the composition; a map cut-out shapes the visible map. Set the width and height, keep proportions linked where useful, and adjust rotation, fill or outline. A small shape can support a caption; a larger cut-out changes the whole silhouette.

Select objects directly on the artwork or through their controls. Drag to move them, use the available handles and position controls, and check that the result leaves your roads and labels readable. Duplicate an object when you want matching elements; delete it if it adds more noise than meaning.

Make small adjustments, then step back

With a text object, marker or shape focused, arrow keys let you nudge it; Shift makes a larger movement. Undo and Redo help you compare changes. When typing in a text field, the keys still work on the text, so return focus to the artwork object before nudging it.

View the whole map once more before export. Is there a clear reading order? Does the smallest label remain legible at the chosen print size? Keep OpenStreetMap attribution visible, including after any editing outside Cartivale.