Composer Overview

The Map Composer is a layout designer for creating publication-ready maps. Arrange your map alongside titles, text blocks, legends, scale bars, images, shapes, and other elements on a canvas, then export the result as a high-quality PNG or PDF.

1. Open your project in the editor
2. Click the Compose button in the top toolbar
3. The Composer opens with a blank canvas and your current map view

The canvas is your design surface. All element positions and sizes are specified as percentages of the canvas, so layouts scale correctly across different export sizes.

• Click an element to select it — a blue ring outline and corner resize handles appear
• Drag a selected element to reposition it anywhere on the canvas
• Drag any corner handle (NW, NE, SW, SE) to resize the element
• Click on the canvas background to deselect the current element
• Elements snap to the canvas center (50%) when dragged within range — blue guide lines appear to confirm alignment
• Only one element can be selected at a time

• Delete or Backspace — Remove the selected element from the canvas
• Escape — Deselect the current element
• Cmd/Ctrl + D — Duplicate the selected element
• Cmd/Ctrl + ] — Bring the selected element to the front
• Cmd/Ctrl + [ — Send the selected element to the back

Add elements to your layout using the toolbar. Each element type has configurable properties accessible in the properties panel when selected.

• Title — Large text for the map title. Configurable font size, weight (normal/bold), alignment (left/center/right), font color, and text content.
• Text Box — Smaller text block for descriptions, credits, or notes. Configurable font size, font color, background color, border color and width, and padding.
• Arrow — A directional arrow for annotations. Configurable stroke color, stroke width, and arrowhead size. Rotation can be set in the properties panel to point in any direction.
• North Arrow — A compass indicator showing map orientation. Three styles: Simple, Compass (default), and Minimal. Automatically rotates to match the map bearing. Configurable color.
• Scale Bar — A visual scale reference. Three styles: Line, Bar, and Alternating. Units: Metric, Imperial, or Both. Automatically calculates the correct distance based on map zoom and center. Configurable color and background.
• Legend — Auto-generated from your visible layers. Shows layer names, colors, feature counts, and data-driven styling categories. Configurable title, font size, background color, and border color.
• Image — Insert a logo, photo, or any image file. Supports contain, cover, and fill modes with adjustable opacity and border radius.
• Rectangle — A shape element for neatlines, frames, dividers, and decorative borders. Configurable fill color, stroke color and width, border radius, and opacity.

When an element is selected, the properties panel appears on the right with controls for that element type. An action bar at the top provides quick access to common operations:

• Front / Back — Change the stacking order (z-order) of the selected element
• Copy — Duplicate the selected element with a small offset
• Lock / Unlock — Prevent accidental movement or editing of an element
• Position — X and Y coordinates as a percentage of the canvas (0–100%)
• Size — Width and height as a percentage of the canvas
• Rotation — Angle in degrees, useful for arrows and decorative elements
• Type-specific fields — Text content, font size, colors, style dropdowns, and toggles depending on the element
• Delete button — Remove the element from the canvas

Start from a pre-built template to save time. Each template arranges common elements in a professional layout and sets appropriate export dimensions:

• Professional Report — Letter portrait (1275×1650) with a 1px neatline border, centered title, legend, scale bar, north arrow, and attribution footer. Ideal for one-page report maps.
• Landscape Briefing — Letter landscape (1650×1275) with a right sidebar for the legend and north arrow. Clean layout for meetings and briefings.
• Presentation Slide — Full-bleed 16:9 HD (1920×1080) with the map covering the entire canvas. Dark background with white overlay text and minimal controls. Ideal for slide decks.
• Atlas Page — A4 portrait (1240×1754) with a 1px neatline, legend, scale bar, north arrow, and projection/date attribution at the bottom. European standard atlas layout.
• Large Poster — A3 portrait (1754×2480) at 300 DPI with a thick 2px neatline, large title, alternating scale bar, compass north arrow, and a credits footer. For large-format prints.
• Social Media Card — Square (1080×1080) with a full-bleed map and semi-transparent dark overlay at the bottom for the title. Minimal north arrow. Optimized for social sharing.

The map frame is the central element of your layout. It captures a snapshot of your current map view, including all visible layers, styling, and the selected basemap.

• Click the map frame to select it — corner resize handles appear
• Drag to reposition or resize the frame within the canvas
• The minimum size is 10% width and 10% height to prevent accidental collapse
• Map bearing and pitch are preserved in the frame
• You can pan and zoom the map within the frame to adjust the view

The legend element auto-generates its content from your visible layers. It shows appropriate symbols for each geometry type — circles for points, lines for line features, and rectangles for polygons. If a layer uses data-driven styling, each category appears as an indented sub-item with its own color swatch.

When there are more items than fit in the available space, the legend shows a "+X more" indicator. Adjust the legend size or font size to show more items.

The scale bar automatically calculates the real-world distance it represents based on the map's current zoom level and center point. The displayed distance rounds to "nice" values (1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, etc.) for readability. When set to "Both" units, metric and imperial measurements are shown simultaneously.