Great markers make a big difference for your interactive map aesthetics and usability. Here are some tips for creating great markers for your maps.
Selecting the right Icons
The icons on your markers should be clear and easy to understand at first glance. We recommend choosing icons that are filled out or with a thick outline. They will display clearly even at a small size.
We don’t recommend icons with thin lines and no fill as they are harder to distinguish. Check this example below:
Marker and icon color
The icons will display in either white or black depending on the marker background color. Mapme automatically changes the color to maximize the contrast so, on a dark background, the icon will be white and on a light background, it will be black.
We recommend keeping the colors of the icons consistent for all your markers, either all white or all black. You might need to adjust the marker background color to achieve this consistency.
Icons size
WIth Mapme, you can adjust the size of the icons within the markers. We recommend setting the size of the icon to use most of the real-estate of the marker but not touch the marker border or overlap. Check these examples:
- Recommended. Fits nicely and leverage of the most the marker real-estate
- Not recommended. The icon is clearly too small
- Not recommended. The icon is too large and goes beyond the marker outline
Marker Size
The size of your markers has a big impact on the usability and aesthetic of your interactive map. If the markers are too big they might overlap and cover too much of the map.If the markers are too small, they will be hard to see and the icons will not show up clearly.
We recommend the following dimensions:
- 35 pixel for circle shape markers
- 40 pixels for pin shape markers
Choosing the right type of markers
Mapme let you choose among a broad range of marker types: Circle, Pin, Floating and Image.
Circle Makers
Recommended for most use cases. Circle markers are visually pleasing and give more visibility to the icons compare to pin markers.
Pin Markers
Recommended when pinpointing the exact location of a place on the map is important. The bottom of the pin indicates the exact location.
Floating Markers
Recommended as a non-clickable marker (stamp) for example to show a mode of transportation between 2 locations
Image Markers
Recommended when you want to show very specific information through the marker like for example a brand logo.
Check out our Marker Customization Guide to learn how to customize your markers in the Mapme editor.