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Lesson 8: Make a map for hui

Complexity: intermediate
Outcome: an A3 PDF discussion map and a separate A4 PDF version that can be understood without opening QGIS.

Before you begin​

You need:

  • 03_project/qgis-course.qgz
  • the outputs created in earlier lessons
  • 04_outputs/
  • one clear map purpose

For this exercise, use one course result rather than trying to show the entire eight-lesson project on one page. Good choices are:

  • the observation and management-area analysis from Lesson 6
  • the historical and current imagery comparison from Lesson 7
  • the ingoa wāhi layer from Lesson 3 with suitable context

1. Decide what the map is for​

Open 03_project/README.md and add two sentences:

This map is for: [audience and purpose]
The main thing it needs to show is: [one clear message]

Example:

This map is for: a teaching hui discussing the spatial-analysis exercise.
The main thing it needs to show is: which teaching observations fall within the synthetic management area and the 100 m buffers around them.

Save the README.

If you cannot write the purpose in one sentence, do not start the layout yet. Decide what question the map is meant to support.

2. Prepare the main QGIS map canvas first​

  1. Start QGIS.
  2. Open 03_project/qgis-course.qgz.
  3. In the Layers panel turn off layers that do not support your map purpose.
  4. Keep only the layers needed for the intended message plus useful geographic context.
  5. Put imagery at the bottom if you are using it.
  6. Put important vector layers above imagery.
  7. Check that polygon fills do not hide essential information beneath them.
  8. Check labels at the scale you intend to use.
  9. Use Pan Map and Zoom In/Out to frame the area you want on the final map.
  10. Save the project.

A Print Layout reproduces the map you give it. It does not automatically repair cluttered symbology or an unclear layer hierarchy.

3. Create the A3 layout​

  1. Choose Project → New Print Layout….
  2. In the layout-name dialog type:
hui-map-a3
  1. Click OK.
  2. A separate Print Layout window opens with a blank page.
  3. Right-click an empty part of the white page.
  4. Choose Page Properties….
  5. In the Item Properties panel find Page size.
  6. Set Size to A3.
  7. Set Orientation to Landscape.
  8. Click away from the page or continue to the next step. Page-property changes apply immediately.
  9. In the Print Layout window choose Layout → Save Project or press Ctrl+S / Command+S.

You should now see​

One wide A3 page in the layout window.

4. Add the map item​

  1. Choose Add Item → Add Map.
  2. Move the mouse to the blank page.
  3. Click near the upper-left area where the map should begin.
  4. Hold the mouse button and drag a large rectangle across most of the page, leaving room for a title and a source/legend area.
  5. Release the mouse button.
  6. QGIS draws the current project map inside the rectangle.
  7. Choose the Select/Move Item tool.
  8. Click the map frame once so selection handles appear.
  9. Drag a corner handle if you need to resize the frame.

5. Adjust the map extent inside the frame​

The map frame is a layout object. Moving the frame and moving the geographic content inside it are different actions.

  1. Select the map item.
  2. Choose the Move Item Content tool from the layout toolbar.
  3. Click and drag inside the map frame to pan the geographic content without moving the frame itself.
  4. Use the mouse wheel over the map item, or the map-item scale control in Item Properties, to adjust scale.
  5. Centre the important result with enough surrounding context for orientation.
  6. Return to the Select/Move Item tool when finished.
  7. Save the project from the Layout window.

You should now see​

The intended study area filling most of the page without important features being cut off.

6. Add a useful title​

  1. Choose Add Item → Add Label.
  2. Click and drag a rectangle above the map.
  3. With the new label selected, open Item Properties.
  4. Find the main text box.
  5. Replace the default text with a specific title.

For example:

Teaching observations and 100 m buffers

or:

Historical and current landscape — teaching comparison
  1. Increase the title font size until it is clearly the first text the reader notices.
  2. Keep the title to one or two lines.
  3. Resize the label box if the title is clipped.
  4. Save the project.

Do not use Map 1 as a title. The title should tell the reader what the map is about.

7. Add a restrained legend​

  1. Choose Add Item → Add Legend.
  2. Click and drag a rectangle in an open part of the page, usually beside or below the map.
  3. With the legend selected, open Item Properties.
  4. Find Legend items.
  5. Untick Auto update so you can remove unnecessary entries.
  6. Click an entry that does not need explanation, such as a general basemap layer.
  7. Click the remove/minus button in the Legend items controls.
  8. Repeat until only meaningful analytical or thematic layers remain.
  9. If a layer name is technically accurate but unreadable for a hui, edit the displayed legend wording without renaming or altering the underlying source file.
  10. Resize the legend box so all entries fit without dominating the page.
  11. Save the project.

For the Lesson 6 map, a legend might need the management area, selected observations and 100 m buffer. It probably does not need an entry saying LINZ Aerial Basemap if the source is already recorded in the source note.

8. Add a scale bar​

  1. Choose Add Item → Add Scale Bar.
  2. Click or click-drag where the scale bar should appear.
  3. With the scale bar selected, open Item Properties.
  4. Under Main properties, confirm the scale bar is linked to your map item, usually Map 1.
  5. Set the scale-bar units to Meters for a local course map, or choose kilometres if the mapped area is too large for metres to be useful.
  6. Choose a simple scale-bar style.
  7. Adjust the number/size of segments until the bar is readable without becoming a major visual object.
  8. Save the project.

QGIS 3.44 scale bars must be linked to a map item. If the bar displays a nonsensical distance, check the linked map and units rather than typing a fake scale into the label.

9. Add source and method notes​

  1. Choose Add Item → Add Label.
  2. Draw a text box along the lower part of the page or in another clear information area.
  3. In Item Properties, replace the default label text with a concise source block.
  4. Use wording appropriate to the layers actually on your map.

For a Lesson 6 map, use something like:

Sources: Toitū Te Whenua LINZ; QGIS course teaching data.
Working CRS: NZTM2000 (EPSG:2193).
Analysis: observations within synthetic teaching management area; 100 m buffer.
Prepared: [today's date].
Synthetic teaching data is not a real management or authority boundary.

For a historical map, include the Retrolens flight/frame/date reference as well.

  1. Use a smaller font than the title but large enough to read at printed page size.
  2. Increase the label box height if text is clipped.
  3. Save the project.

10. Check ingoa wāhi and macrons​

If the layout contains Māori place names:

  1. Zoom the layout view to approximately 100%.
  2. Inspect every visible name.
  3. Confirm macrons appear correctly.
  4. Check that no label is clipped by the map frame.
  5. Check that labels remain large enough to read when the page is printed.
  6. If labels are crowded, return to the main QGIS window and adjust the label settings or map scale rather than manually retyping names in the layout.
  7. Return to the Print Layout and refresh the map if needed.

11. Check the whole page before export​

Look at the entire A3 page and confirm:

  • the title is clear
  • the map is the dominant item
  • the main result is visible immediately
  • the legend contains only useful entries
  • the scale bar is linked to the map
  • source and date information is readable
  • nothing important is clipped
  • no confidential or sensitive information has accidentally been added
  • synthetic course boundaries are labelled as synthetic

Save the project.

12. Export the A3 PDF​

  1. In the Print Layout choose Layout → Export as PDF….
  2. Browse to qgis-course/04_outputs.
  3. Set the filename to:
hui-map-a3.pdf
  1. Click Save.
  2. The PDF Export Options dialog opens.
  3. For this beginner exercise, keep the normal defaults unless QGIS warns about a specific layout problem.
  4. Click Save or OK to create the PDF.
  5. Wait for the export to finish.
  6. If QGIS reports a layout check warning, read it. Fix a genuinely broken scale-bar/map reference before accepting the output.

13. Inspect the A3 PDF outside QGIS​

  1. Open File Explorer or Finder.
  2. Go to qgis-course/04_outputs.
  3. Double-click hui-map-a3.pdf.
  4. Open it in your normal PDF viewer, not inside QGIS.
  5. Check the page size if your viewer reports it.
  6. Zoom to 100% and inspect:
    • title
    • labels and macrons
    • legend
    • scale bar
    • line weights
    • imagery quality
    • source notes
  7. Zoom back to fit the whole page.
  8. Ask whether the map still makes sense without the QGIS Layers panel beside it.

If anything is clipped or unreadable, return to the layout, fix it and export the PDF again using the same filename.

14. Duplicate the layout for A4​

Do not destroy your A3 layout just to create the smaller version.

  1. Return to the main QGIS window.
  2. Choose Project → Layout Manager….
  3. Select hui-map-a3 in the list.
  4. Click Duplicate….
  5. When asked for the new layout name, enter:
hui-map-a4
  1. Click OK.
  2. Open hui-map-a4 from the Layout Manager if it does not open automatically.
  3. Right-click the white page.
  4. Choose Page Properties….
  5. Change Size to A4.
  6. Keep Orientation as Landscape for this exercise.
  7. Save the project.

15. Redesign for A4 rather than simply shrinking​

The A4 page is physically smaller. Check every item.

  1. Use Select/Move Item to resize/reposition the map frame so it fits the A4 page.
  2. Resize or reposition the title.
  3. Make sure the title is still clearly readable.
  4. Resize or simplify the legend. Remove another non-essential entry if necessary.
  5. Reposition the scale bar.
  6. Resize the source-note box.
  7. Keep source text readable. Do not solve the space problem by reducing it to tiny print.
  8. If the map itself becomes too cramped, remove secondary layers or use a tighter map extent.
  9. Check all labels and macrons again.
  10. Save the project.

A4 is a separate communication product. It should be redesigned for the smaller page rather than mechanically scaled down.

16. Export the A4 PDF​

  1. In the A4 Print Layout choose Layout → Export as PDF….
  2. Browse to qgis-course/04_outputs.
  3. Save as:
hui-map-a4.pdf
  1. Accept the normal PDF export settings unless you have a reason to change them.
  2. Complete the export.
  3. Open hui-map-a4.pdf outside QGIS.
  4. Check the same items you checked on the A3 version.

17. Do a physical-size check​

If a printer is available:

  1. Print the A4 version at Actual size / 100%, not Fit to page unless the printer requires it.
  2. Read it from normal table distance.
  3. Check title, labels, legend, scale and source note.

If no printer is available:

  1. View the A4 PDF at approximately actual page size on screen.
  2. Open it on a second device if practical.
  3. Check whether the information still works outside the screen on which you designed it.

18. Record the final outputs​

Add to 03_project/README.md:

Lesson 8 map outputs
A3 layout: hui-map-a3
A3 PDF: 04_outputs/hui-map-a3.pdf
A4 layout: hui-map-a4
A4 PDF: 04_outputs/hui-map-a4.pdf
Audience/purpose: [your sentence]
Main message: [your sentence]
PDFs checked outside QGIS: yes
Physical/second-device check: [yes/no and note]

Save the README and QGIS project.

19. Reopen the project and layouts​

  1. Close QGIS.
  2. Reopen 03_project/qgis-course.qgz.
  3. Choose Project → Layout Manager….
  4. Confirm both hui-map-a3 and hui-map-a4 are listed.
  5. Close Layout Manager.
  6. Confirm both PDF files still exist in 04_outputs.

Course completion check​

Your course folder should now contain, at minimum:

01_source/
  observation-status.csv
  wairarapa-public-place-demo.csv
  historical-imagery/[Retrolens source image]

02_working/
  course.gpkg
  historical_georeferenced.tif
  historical-georef-gcps.points
  backups/[dated GeoPackage backup]

03_project/
  qgis-course.qgz
  README.md

04_outputs/
  hui-map-a3.pdf
  hui-map-a4.pdf

Inside course.gpkg you should have several course layers including ingoa_wahi, observations, joined/analysis outputs and historical_features.

Verify before finishing​

You should be able to show another person:

  • how to open the saved project
  • how to explain the purpose of the final map in one sentence
  • where the map item, title, legend and scale bar are in each layout
  • where the source note is
  • both A3 and A4 layouts in Layout Manager
  • both PDF files in 04_outputs
  • that the PDFs were checked outside QGIS
  • that the A4 version was redesigned rather than simply shrunk
  • where the source and method record is kept

Common problems​

My map frame is blank​

Return to the main QGIS project and confirm the intended layers are visible. In the layout, select the map item and refresh/update it from Item Properties if necessary.

I move the frame when I meant to move the map inside it​

Use Move Item Content to pan geography inside the frame. Use Select/Move Item when you want to move or resize the layout object itself.

The legend is enormous​

Select the legend, untick Auto update, remove basemap and irrelevant entries, and keep only layers that require explanation.

The scale bar shows a strange value​

Select it and check Item Properties → Main properties. Confirm it is linked to the correct map item and uses sensible units.

Labels look fine in QGIS but poor in PDF​

Open the exported file at actual size. Increase text size, reduce clutter or adjust the map scale in QGIS, then export again. Do not assume screen zoom equals print readability.

The A4 version is unreadable​

Remove secondary information and redesign the layout. Do not keep shrinking text and symbols to preserve the exact A3 composition.

QGIS warns during PDF export​

Read the warning. QGIS performs layout checks including map/scale-bar relationships. Fix genuine layout problems rather than reflexively dismissing them.

Continue with the worked examples, Cartography and map communication and Field GIS.

Official references: QGIS Print Layout and Creating PDF output.

Test basis: QGIS 3.44 LTR. Last reviewed: 4 September 2026

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