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map-designBeginner· 6 min read

Exporting and Checking a Finished Map: The Last Step Before It Leaves

How to choose PDF, SVG or PNG, which resolution to use, and the checklist that catches clipped text, missing symbols and blurry output before anyone else sees the map.

The layout on your screen is not the finished map. The finished map is the file you send. Exporting can change how text wraps, how transparency looks and how sharp everything is, so the final step is to open the file and look at it with fresh eyes.

Which format?

FormatGood forNotes
PDFReports, printing, sharingKeeps vectors sharp at any size. Check fonts and any raster layers
SVGEditing in a graphics programVector. Some effects may differ from the layout
PNGWeb articles, slidesA fixed grid of pixels. Choose the pixel size for how it will be shown
JPGPhotosSmaller files, with some quality loss. Rarely the best choice for maps

Resolution

Resolution is how many dots or pixels per inch (dpi) a raster output has. It applies to PNG and JPG, and to any raster layers inside a PDF. 300 dpi is a common starting point for print. For a screen, think in pixels instead: a figure that will be shown 700 pixels wide needs about 1,400 pixels for sharp display on high-density screens.

Higher resolution makes bigger files. It does not rescue a poor source. If a satellite image has 30 m pixels, exporting it at 600 dpi will not add detail.

What to check after exporting

Reopen the exported file in a viewer, not in QGIS, and zoom in. Check for:

  • clipped or wrapped text, such as a title that is cut off or collides with the line below
  • legend symbols that are missing or wrong
  • text that is too small to read at the intended size
  • fonts that were replaced
  • transparency, raster layers and line weights that look different from the layout
  • selection highlights, temporary layers or leftover items that should not be there
  • the page size and orientation

See the difference

Both pictures show the same part of the same page, the title and subtitle. The first was exported at 40 dpi from a layout whose title box was too small. The second was exported at 300 dpi from a correct layout.

A blurry, pixelated map title that has wrapped onto a second line and overlaps the subtitle underneath
Before. A low-resolution export with a title box that was too small. The title wraps and collides with the subtitle. Click to enlarge.
A sharp map title on one line with the subtitle clearly below it
After. A sharp title that fits on one line, with the subtitle clear below it. Click to enlarge.

Do it in QGIS

  1. In the Print Layout, open the Layout menu and choose Export as PDF, Export as Image or Export as SVG.
  2. In the dialog, set the resolution. The default is 300 dpi.
  3. For a PDF, tick Always export as vectors if you want sharp lines. Check the Text export option, which controls how text is written.
  4. Save the file, and then open it in a PDF viewer or image viewer and work through the checklist below.
  5. Keep the QGIS project next to the exported file, so that you can fix and re-export.

The final checklist

Copy this list and use it for every map. You can also download the checklist as a text file.

  • The title states the subject and the place, and the date where it matters.
  • The map frame shows the intended extent, and no important feature is cut off.
  • All text is readable at the intended output size.
  • Legend labels, units, classes and symbols are correct.
  • The scale bar, north arrow, grid and coordinate labels are right for this map, or left out on purpose.
  • Colours and classes can still be told apart in the exported file, and in grayscale.
  • Sources, dates, credits, CRS and method notes are present, with the licence attribution.
  • No stray selection highlights, temporary layers, missing fonts or broken images remain.
  • The exported file has been reopened and looked at.

Common mistake: trusting the layout preview

The mistake is to judge the map from the QGIS window and send the export unseen. The fix is the habit of reopening the file. An export that reports success tells you only that a file was written, and it says nothing about whether the map is right.

Glossary

TermMeaning
dpiDots per inch, a measure of resolution for raster output
VectorGraphics drawn as lines and shapes, which stay sharp at any size
RasterGraphics made of a grid of pixels, which blur when enlarged
ClippingText or graphics cut off by the edge of their box or the page

Practise it

Export one layout as a PDF at 300 dpi and as a PNG at 72 dpi, and open both. List every difference you can find. Then run the checklist on each. The Print layouts in QGIS tutorial ends with the export step.

Test yourself

1. Why open the exported file in a different viewer?

It shows the map as the reader will see it. QGIS shows the layout, which may differ in text wrapping, fonts and transparency.

2. Does a higher dpi improve a low-resolution satellite image?

No. It makes a larger file but cannot add detail the source never had.

3. Which format keeps lines sharp at any size?

A vector format such as PDF or SVG.

Quick quiz

1. A common starting resolution for print is
2. An export that reports success means
3. Which problem does reopening the file catch best?
0 of 3 answered

Key takeaways