2.6 Signs and signatures

2.6 Signs and signatures

Tactile and colour signs and signatures of basic geographical objects and concepts used in existing publications should be retained as far as technologically possible. When developing maps for printing in a specific technology, tactile proofs of signatures and textures and map proofs made in the target technology should be checked first. Identity or similarity of the respective flat or computer drawings is not sufficient. Similarly, the ability of a visually impaired person to read colour printing should be checked.

2.6.1. Sheet and map orientation marks

A mark orientating a sheet or page with a map in a book publication:

If the maps are combined in an atlas or included in a textbook, the sign indicating how to read the map is a small convex black triangle placed in the far right (upper) corner of the map page laid correctly in front of the reader.

For maps on separate sheets, a truncated right further (top) corner of the sheet may be used instead of the convex triangle.

A directional rose is used for quick, indicative identification of geographical directions. The arms of the star should be straight convex black lines without any additional graphic elements. The four longer arms of the star should be described with the symbols of the main directions: north (N), south (S), east (E) and west (W). The four shorter arms of the direction rose are placed between the longer ones and do not need to be signed. They indicate the intermediate directions: north-east, north-west, south-east and south-west. It is advisable to draw a different line - e.g. smooth - for the main directions and a different line - e.g. rough - for the intermediate directions.

2.6.2. Point marks

Point signs - or point signatures of objects - are arrangements of convex points, convex geometric figures or other signs with simple shapes, often on a background drawing of the same figure in a particular colour, sometimes only with colour filling. This makes it possible to read the signature by touch and with poor eyesight.

To the touch, point signs are the most legible, hence the international success of Louis Braille's point writing. The signatures of a map with Braille lettering cannot be confused with the characters of the script, which significantly limits the possibility of creating signatures built from dots. Figures drawn with a rough line, not a smooth line, are more readable to the touch. With technologies that produce a smooth line, it is possible to form a well-readable rough line from tightly arranged small dots or cross-hatchings.

Sometimes we use an enlarged conventional mark for the visually impaired and a different mark, which is more legible to touch, for the blind. Then the tactile mark is different to the colour mark. It can be beneficial to use the same signs for the blind and visually impaired, as this makes it easier for a blind or visually impaired person to interact with a sighted teacher.

Spot signs used and recommended so far:

Cities - a convex smooth circle placed on a circle of black line, filled with a contrasting colour; the capital city can be distinguished, for example, by a convex dot inside the circle [ADP]. Cities of different categories can be differentiated by the size of the circle and/or the texture of the circle line [AUE] and the colour of the colour fill of the mark [ADP]. If the scale of the map allows it, the area of the city or town can be distinguished by a texture (see 2.6.4). It is also possible to enclose the contour of the town or village with an asymmetrical line (the edge of the area) and include graphic information about the structure of the area inside.

Natural lakes - If the shape of the lake will be unreadable at the map scale, a convex semicircle with the base facing upwards, placed on a dark blue filled semicircle, will be used. A large lake should be outlined with a shoreline, filled in with blue, and the lake signature [AGP, AUE, ADP] placed inside the lake area. If the lake area is large enough in the map scale, it is advisable to use a water texture in the form of dense horizontal lines.

Artificial reservoirs - If the shape of the reservoir at map scale will be unreadable, we use a convex semicircle with the base facing upwards, placed on a dark blue filled semicircle with a convex dark blue dot inside [AGP, AUE, ADP]. If the area of the reservoir is large enough at the map scale, a water texture in the form of dense horizontal lines is desirable. Information on whether the feature is a natural lake or an artificial reservoir can be included in the map title ("lake" or "reservoir") or in the explanation of the name abbreviation.

Islands - If the shape of an island to the scale of the map is illegible, the island is indicated by a convex semicircle with the base facing downwards placed on a dark blue semicircle. The inside of the mark the same colour as the land. The shape of large islands should be outlined with their coastline and marked in the same colour as the land (appropriate of the colours used on the land if there are more) [AGP, AUE, ADP].

Archipelagos - If the map scale drawing of individual islands will be illegible, we use a convex semi-circle with the base facing down placed on a dark blue semi-circle with a convex dark blue dot inside. Interior of the mark of the same colour as the land (the correct one of the colours used on the land, if more) [AGP, AUE, ADP].

Peaks - three convex black dots against a red triangle, pointing upwards with the apex [ADP].

Depressions - three convex black points against a green triangle, pointing downwards with the apex [ADP].

Small states - If the area of the state enclosed by the boundary line will be unreadable, mark the location of the state with a rhombus sign drawn with a convex line on a black line with a black convex dot in the centre. The vertices of the rhombus oriented according to the geographical directions [AUE].

Edge points - four convex points placed at the vertices of a black square; vertices oriented according to geographical directions [ADP].

National parks, protected areas - four convex points placed in the vertices of a square with a black outline and green filling; vertices oriented according to geographical directions [ADP].

As the graphic shape of the last two signs is identical, they can be used when they will not be placed on the same map.

It is useful to use thematic map marks in accordance with maps already published. However, the unification of rarely used thematic map signs is less important than the need to unify the signs of basic geographical objects.

2.6.3 Linear signs

Linear signs are convex continuous lines, dashed lines or lines made up of dots, superimposed on the colour line of a sign for the visually impaired. Dot lines are created from dots of different sizes. In the technology giving a smooth line, rough lines are created from elements so fine that the touch cannot distinguish them. Different rough lines can be created by varying the size of the dots. In principle, the colour lines should have a conventional colour, but must be well contrasted with the colour of the background - the area. This makes it possible to mark different geographical objects (for example, rivers, the coastline of seas and large lakes, country borders, mountain ranges) with different lines.

The edge of an area (continent, city, national park, etc.) "The edge of an area that we do not want to distinguish by texture can be marked with an asymmetrical line, smooth on one side and made up of rectangular or triangular serrations on the other. Depending on the technique used, we can also use a smooth line to outline the area on the outside and a dotted line about 2 mm inside. The touch reads such a structure as a single, asymmetrical line".

Rivers are marked with a continuous convex (smooth) line on the black or dark blue line. The main river and tributaries can be differentiated by using lines of different thickness. It is also practical to cut off the convex line of a tributary 3 mm from the mouth to the main river. A reader reading the river upstream will easily distinguish the main river from the tributary. If only a section of the river is marked on the map then the direction of the river should be determined as follows: the line of the river entering the map area intersects or meets the frame. At the point where the river leaves the map area we make a small break in the frame. It is practical to mark the source of the river with a convex point. If, at the scale of the map, the banks of a river can be marked with two of its shorelines, it is advisable to distinguish the river surface by using the water texture in the form of dense horizontal lines. Previous publications have marked rivers with a continuous line.

The boundaries of political and administrative areas are drawn with a line made up of points. If the line is to be read as a point line, the distances between the points must be more than 2 mm, otherwise it will be read as a rough line. Modern technology makes it possible to create two or more different point - rough lines to differentiate the boundaries of areas of different categories or in force at different times. Previous publications since 1957 have always marked boundaries with a point line.

Boundary on a river - marked by convex large points placed alternately with convex sections of smooth lines. For the visually impaired, choose a suitable colour line sub-print that contrasts with the background. [AGP, AUE, ADP].

Boundaries of natural areas can be marked with continuous lines with a thickness (width) clearly different from rivers. [ADP]

Shoreline of a sea or body of water - is marked as a rough or continuous thin line, or the shoreline of an area. It must be clearly different from other lines on the map. The shoreline should be dark blue or black in colour. [AUE, ADP]

Mountain chain - this is indicated as a line of convex very thick black dots. [AGE, ADP]

Channel - is denoted as a convex continuous line placed on a continuous line of dark blue, interspersed with short convex dark blue dashes. [ADP]

Cartographic grid poles and lines do not yet have traditionally established marks. It is accepted to mark the meridians with a line that is tactilely different from the parallels. We propose, following [AGP], to mark the parallels with a continuous line and the meridians with a dotted or rough line on the corresponding black line. It is recommended that distinctive meridians and parallels be highlighted on small scale maps.

2.6.4. Colours, textures and patterns

Surface signs distinguish areas by means of colour and, where possible, tactile texture (texture, stroke).

The colours of the colour sub-printing of maps should be adapted to the needs of visually impaired readers. Areas that differ in colour should also differ in value, as this will enable colour-blind people to distinguish between them. Colours of similar value (e.g. two very bright colours) should not be adjacent. Colours should be used on the map in a similar way to conventional colours, but the contrasts between strong, pure colours must be very clear, even at the expense of the map's less aesthetic appearance. The readability of the map for visually impaired people should be considered more important than the aesthetic feeling of sighted people. For this reason, the number of colours that can be used will be less than on conventional school maps.

Textures. In order for blind people to distinguish areas, textures made up of marks so fine that the touch does not distinguish the marks, it only notices the different roughness of the surface of the area. The number of distinguishable textures in a given technology is always limited. Tactile textures should not be placed in the vicinity of linear signs and under Braille lettering. A space of 3-5 mm between the line and the texture or lettering will enable tactile line tracing and reading of name abbreviations. Only the colour of the area should be left in these places. Experience shows that a maximum of 4 different textures can be used on one map, including a 'smooth' background. A larger number of different textures on one map is very difficult to read.

Textures used to date:

The sea is marked with a smooth texture or a texture composed of closely spaced horizontal lines. Similarly, the surface of large (to the scale of the map) lakes can be marked, and on plans also the surface of a river. This method of marking the sea has been used consistently since 1957. The reader's finger touches several lines at the same time and reads them as a surface structure, rather than reading individual lines. This texture has been used on all the maps mentioned above. It is recommended that the texture of the sea and ocean is clearly offset from the coastline if rich map content is placed on the land.

Upland/landscape - the variation of areas with different altitudes is best conveyed by using textures of increasing roughness, as was done in [AGE, AGP] and on maps of Poland in [ADP]. Of course, the number of level cuts will be very limited.

The way in which textures are created will depend on the capabilities of the technology and the ingenuity of the graphic designer. Points, dashes, circles of different sizes and densities arranged regularly or scattered disorderly, grids of lines of different thickness with different density of line placement will produce effects that need to be explored tactilely. Do not use textures that are tactilely similar to the grater. The texture must be pleasing to the touch, or at least not intrusive to tactile reading.

In view of the limited number of tactilely distinguishable textures, many textures will change meaning depending on the subject of the map.

Patterns. Marking a surface with a pattern made of large tactilely legible characters is a much less accurate solution than textures. Patterns built of sparsely spaced lines should not be used, as the reader will not know which line belongs to the pattern and which is an area boundary, cartographic grid line, etc. One (mountain areas) was used in [AUE] and three patterns in [ADP]:

Marsh areas - convex horizontal dark blue dashes;

Upland areas - convex smooth lines in the shape of an arc slightly curved upwards, placed on black lines in the same shape;

Upland areas - convex smooth lines in the shape of an arc strongly curved upwards, placed on black lines in the same shape.

Readers will judge the usefulness of these patterns.

Note: When printing maps from a Braille printer, it may not be possible to use signatures and lines similar to those used on maps created with technologies that produce continuous lines. It is necessary to create signatures that are legible and repeatable in a given printing technology. As far as possible they should be similar to the signatures of maps printed with continuous lines.

2.6.5. Cartographic grid, scales, sheet divisions

It has been assumed that the cartographic grid lines are not drawn on the tiflomaps due to lack of space. However, it is advisable to mark and describe the intersections of the more important meridians and parallels with the frame. Cartographic grid lines may be drawn on one map only, preferably on the base map.

Graphical indexes dividing the map of a specific area into sheets or a diagram of the placement of an area of a detailed map on the area of the base map should be made so that the index can be read and properly interpreted by a tactile reader.

When referring to map quarters (e.g. from the index of names), the division of a sheet into four parts should not be made with lines. Instead, a conventional mark should be used in the middle of the map frame length. This will help the reader searching a particular quadrant to assess its extent.