Drawing and reproduction of national atlases

Summary

This article examines the technical and organizational principles governing the drawing and reproduction of national atlases, using the Atlas of Sweden as its principal example. Unlike standardized world, school, or road atlases, national atlases consist largely of thematically distinct maps and therefore require flexible, case-specific production methods. The study reviews postwar advances in cartographic materials and reproduction, emphasizing the shift from dimensionally unstable paper and cellulose acetate to vinyl and, subsequently, polyester sheets, whose lower thermal expansion improves registration in multicolour work. It also discusses the development of suitable inks, coated scribing films, symbol and type stick-up, strip-mask colour separation, contact screens, colour-proofing, larger printing plates, and multicolour presses. Positive scribing is recommended for most atlas and thematic maps because originals remain readable, can be superimposed for checking, and accommodate added symbols or ink corrections; negative scribing is more appropriate for frequently revised products such as nautical charts and road maps. Sapphire cutters offer markedly greater durability than steel needles, while scribing and strip-mask techniques can substantially reduce costs in large and complex projects. The article argues that no single process is universally optimal: pen-and-ink drawing, scribing, adhesive symbols, masking, and photographic methods should be combined according to map content and revision needs. Modern techniques have consequently blurred the boundary between cartographic design and reproduction. High-quality, economical atlas production therefore depends on careful workflow planning, appropriate printing formats, close cooperation among geographers, editors, cartographers, draftsmen, and reproduction technicians, and international exchange of technical experience.