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The Cartographers’ Guild is a forum created by and for map makers and aficionados, a place where every aspect of cartography can be admired, examined, learned, and discussed. Our membership consists of professional designers and artists, hobbyists, and amateurs—all are welcome to join and participate in the quest for cartographic skill and knowledge.
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General map-creation techniques and tools question...
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... I believe that every cartographer has his own way of doing things. Personally I like to make a rough sketch on paper first - just to get my bearings. Sometimes I flesh the city (or whatever) out a lot - and sometimes I just mark the general areas. Then I use my go-to-program, which for me is Photoshop. I take a snap of the map I mad with the phone (quicker than a scanner) and then import it and start "inking" in the lines in photoshop. If its a detailed drawing I might scan it instead, but I usually only have a sketch.
