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What’s New in Geographic Imager 6.9?

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We are excited to announce the release of Geographic Imager version 6.9, the latest version of our Geographic Imager® extension for Adobe Photoshop®. 

With Geographic Imager v6.9, we are announcing official compatibility with Adobe Photoshop 2025 and macOS Sequoia, WMS 1.3.0 import capabilities, support for NITF metadata, and other user interface and usability enhancements.

Here’s what you can expect with the latest Geographic Imager v6.9 release:

Compatibility upgrades

Following our extensive MAPublisher compatibility upgrades earlier this fall, we are happy to share that Geographic Imager 6.9 is fully compatible with Adobe Photoshop 2025 (version 26), which was released this October. Geographic Imager 6.9 also supports the recently released macOS Sequoia (version 15).

Import data from WMS 1.3.0

We have had many users request the ability to import data from Web Map Service (WMS) version 1.3.0, and we are happy to announce that this is now possible with Geographic Imager 6.9! This can be done by opening the Advanced Import window and following the usual steps to add a web map service. Select 1.3.0 from the new Version drop-down menu, or select the “Autodetect Version” option in this menu, which can detect the WMS version used by the URL provided.

Support for NITF metadata

NITF metadata will now be maintained when you import NITF files into Geographic Imager. When you go to quick save a document to NITF file format, you will now be met with an “NITF Options” dialog box. Here you can specify image compression, edit certain metadata fields, and choose which metadata fields to include in your saved NITF file.

Geographic Imager 6.9 is Available Now!

If you would like to learn more about the new Geographic Imager 6.9 features or have any questions, please check out our Support Centre.

Geographic Imager v6.9 is available immediately, free of charge to all current Geographic Imager users with active maintenance subscriptions and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users.

Avenza Releases Geographic Imager 6.9 for Adobe Photoshop

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Toronto, ON, December 17, 2024 – Avenza Systems Inc., producers of the Avenza Maps® app for mobile devices and geospatial extensions for Adobe Creative Cloud®, including MAPublisher® for Adobe Illustrator®, is pleased to announce the release of Geographic Imager® version 6.9 for Adobe Photoshop®. This version introduces official compatibility with Adobe Photoshop 2025 and macOS Sequoia, WMS 1.3.0 import capabilities, support for NITF metadata, and also includes user interface and usability enhancements.

Geographic Imager for Adobe Photoshop delivers an all-encompassing solution for importing, editing, and exporting geospatial images, such as aerial and satellite imagery. Work with digital elevation models, GeoTIFFs, and other popular GIS image formats using Adobe Photoshop features such as transparencies, filters, cropping, and image adjustments while maintaining georeferencing and support for hundreds of coordinate systems and projections.

New features for Geographic Imager v6.9 for Adobe Photoshop include:

  • Adobe Creative Cloud 2025 compatibility: Geographic Imager now supports Adobe Photoshop 2025 (version 26.0) on both Windows and Mac.
  • macOS Sequoia compatibility: Geographic Imager also officially supports the new macOS Sequoia (version 15) update.
  • WMS 1.3.0 import capabilities: Geographic Imager now supports the import of data from Web Map Service (WMS) version 1.3.0, with an option to autodetect the WMS version also added.
  • Support for NITF metadata: NITF metadata will now be maintained when NITF files are imported into Geographic Imager. Users can also specify image compression, edit certain metadata fields, and choose which metadata fields to include when exporting to NITF file format.
  • Additional user interface and usability enhancements

To utilize the improvements and enhancements offered in Geographic Imager v6.9, users require a valid Adobe Creative Cloud subscription and a compatible operating system. For questions and information on how compatibility requirements may affect your organization, please contact our Support Centre.

Geographic Imager v6.9 is available immediately and free of charge to all current Geographic Imager Maintenance Program members and starts at US$399 for non-maintenance upgrades. New fixed licenses start at US$859. Geographic Imager Basic Edition licenses start at US$129. Academic, floating, and volume license pricing is also available. Visit www.avenza.com/geographic-imager for more information.

More about Avenza Systems Inc.

Avenza Systems Inc. is an award-winning, privately held corporation that provides cartographers and GIS professionals with powerful software tools to make better maps. Avenza also offers the mobile Avenza Maps app to sell, purchase, distribute, and use maps on iOS and Android devices.
For further information contact: +1 416-487-5116 – info@avenza.com – www.avenza.com

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Announcing the Avenza Map Contest 2024 Winners

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We are thrilled to announce that the 2024 Avenza Map Contest has officially wrapped up! This year, cartographers from around the world submitted their finest work, showcasing remarkable creativity and skilled cartographic design. Our entrants demonstrated how they harness the capabilities of Avenza software to create impactful and visually appealing cartographic products. With the judging, discussion, and review process now concluded, the Avenza team proudly congratulates this year’s prize winners!

In the coming months, stayed tuned for our Map Spotlight blog series, where we’ll highlight the winning entries and some honourable mentions of the 2024 Avenza Map Contest. Each article will dive deeper into how the winning maps were crafted, featuring insights from their creators, and an exploration of the tools and techniques behind their award-winning designs.

Grand Prize Winner


Heavens: Majesty of the Night Sky
Matthew Chwastyk
National Geographic

Connect with Matt on X (Twitter) @mapchwastyk. Additional contributors to the map are Patricia Healy, Heidi Schultz, Eve Conant, Caroline Braun, Scott Zillmer, and Sandi Owatverot-Nuzzo.

Runner-Up Prize Winner


South Shetland Islands and the Northern Antarctic Peninsula
Tom Patterson
US National Park Service (Retired)

Learn more about this map and check out Tom’s other maps on his website. You can also download it from the Avenza Map Store for free! connect with Tom on X (Twitter) @mtnmapper.

Second Runner-Up Prize Winner


The Roman Empire
Craig Molyneux
CartDeco

This map can be purchased as a 1600 x 1100 mm print on the CartDeco website.

Congratulations again to this year’s winners!

UC Spotlight: SUP with Avenza Maps

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With over 20 years of GIS experience, Marikka Williams is well-versed in spatial data and the mapping technologies used to visualize it. Last summer, she applied these skills while exploring Canoe Lake in Algonquin Provincial Park on a stand up paddle board (SUP), using the Avenza Maps app to track her offline adventure. Later, she imported her data into MAPublisher to create a custom memory map of her excursion. She shared her process at this year’s Avenza User Conference.

In her presentation, Marikka walked us through each step of her map-making process. She began by collecting points of interest during her journey, adding placemarks along her route using the Avenza Maps app. Afterward, she exported the data as a KML file, then imported it into MAPublisher for further enhancement. Marikka showcased various MAPublisher tools, such as the MAP View Editor, Stylesheet Themes, and the MAPublisher LabelPro add-on, which she used to bring her map to life. She further enriched her work with Geographic Imager, using recent Landsat imagery to add depth and accuracy to her map, verifying her vector data against real-world details. At the end of her presentation, Marikka shared her final cartographic product with us!

Check out the full video of Marikka’s presentation at Avenza UC 2024!

About Avenza UC

The Avenza User Conference is an opportunity to discover exciting new developments with Avenza’s GIS and cartographic solutions and to connect with peers and Avenza team members. Avenza users and staffers from around the globe meet virtually each May to learn what’s new with Avenza Maps, MAPublisher, Geographic Imager, and the Avenza Map Store, and see how they are being used to map our world.

The Avenza User Conference is an free annual event that grows each year with incredible speakers and participants. Get inspired by mapping and industry professionals by joining us for #AvenzaUC2025. Find more information here about next year’s conference taking place on May 8th, 2025.

UC Spotlight: Creating the Blue Earth Bathymetry Dataset

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Tom Patterson continues to provide the Cartography community with valuable knowledge and data! This year at the Avenza User Conference 2024, Tom presented to us how he created the Blue Earth Bathymetry raster dataset with the help of Geographic Imager and Adobe Photoshop.

Blue Earth Bathymetry is an edited version of GEBCO (General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans), a public domain dataset that combines ocean bottom and land elevation data of the entire world. Since GEBCO was derived from a mix of data sources, it contains noisy artifacts. Tom created Blue Earth as a cleaner alternative for making small-scale maps of the seafloor. Tom utilized an unorthodox editing procedure which is unique to Adobe Photoshop and Geographic Imager to remove artifacts and create smoother looking bathymetry. Blue Earth Bathymetry is available for free as a GeoTIFF DEM at 60-arc second resolution (21,600 x 10,800 pixels), as opposed to the original resolution of GEBCO which is 15-arc seconds. This dataset is great for small-scale mapping!

Watch the video of Tom’s full presentation at the Avenza UC 2024 and visit the Shaded Relief website to download and learn more about the Blue Earth Bathymetry dataset!

About Avenza UC

The Avenza User Conference is an opportunity to discover exciting new developments with Avenza’s GIS and cartographic solutions and to connect with peers and Avenza team members. Avenza users and staffers from around the globe meet virtually each May to learn what’s new with Avenza Maps, MAPublisher, Geographic Imager, and the Avenza Map Store, and see how they are being used to map our world.

The Avenza User Conference is an free annual event that grows each year with incredible speakers and participants. Get inspired by mapping and industry professionals by joining us for #AvenzaUC2025. Find more information here about next year’s conference taking place on May 8th, 2025.

Map Spotlight: Tuscan Archipelago by Enrico Casolari

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For the September Map Spotlight, we are showcasing an honourable mention of the 2021 Avenza Map Contest by Enrico Casolari. This is one of seven maps created for Arcipelago Toscano National Park in Italy, with this map in particular focusing on Giglio Island. It illustrates forest roads and trekking paths that span the island, as well as topographic information to visualize its impressive terrain. Enrico used natural tones to create an eye-catching cartographic piece that serves as both a functional reference aid and a visually engaging artwork.

Select the images below to see a detailed look at Enrico’s map

Making the Map

Enrico employed both Geographic Imager and MAPublisher to create this map. He used Geographic Imager in Adobe Photoshop to create the shaded relief images for the land portion of the map. The Terrain Shader tool is a simple but effect method to create a shaded relief using a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) file. The Mosaic and GeoCrop tools were used to ensure the DEM only included the necessary area required for the map. The shaded relief image could then be imported into MAPublisher and used for the final map design.

Next, Enrico imported his vector data on top of the shaded relief image into MAPublisher. He used MAP Stylesheet Themes to visualize the vector data as desired, including roads, trails, and sea depth. The Label Features tool was used to automatically place labels at important locations on the map, with the option to modify them manually once placed. This tool serves as a great substitute for the LabelPro add-on if intensive labeling is not required.

Enrico then used the Create Knockouts tool to ensure that more important labels and features were not obscured or intersecting with contour lines. Finally, he used the North Arrow tool to easily add the finishing touches to his map, importing a custom symbol to use for his north arrow.

Learn more and enter the 2024 Avenza Map Contest here, and check out our other Map Spotlight blogs here!

Map Spotlight: Russell Fjord Wilderness by Aaron Taveras

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For our monthly Map Spotlight of July, we are displaying another superb honourable mention of the 2021 Avenza Map Contest: Russell Fjord Wilderness by Aaron Taveras of Cartografix. This outdoor recreation map was created to help visitors navigate the Russell Fjord Wilderness area and find the few trails that exist around the Yakutat region of Alaska. The map consists of two pages which illustrate the beautiful glaciers and rocky moraines, both of which make the area a popular destination for backcountry travel. Aaron combined essential topographic detail with recreational points of interest which resulted in a visually stunning yet useful cartographic product.

A fun fact: this map was selected to be used in the main software graphics for MAPublisher 11. It is available for purchase as a bundle digitally on the Avenza Maps Store.

Select the images below to see a detailed look at Aaron’s map

Making the Map

Aaron used both Geographic Imager and MAPublisher in the creation of this map. Geographic Imager was used in Adobe Photoshop to build the shaded relief images for the background of the map. The Terrain Shader makes it quick and easy to create a shaded relief by simply inputting a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). After this, the shaded relief image could be imported into MAPublisher and used as the background for the map.

Aaron imported his vector data and his shaded relief image into MAPublisher. MAP Stylesheet Themes were used to stylize the vector data such as the glaciers, land cover and water features. The Create Halo tool was used to create the thick and slightly transparent borders of the various parks and preserves in the region.

One of the standout features of Aaron’s map is the contour lines illustrating the terrain of the Russell Fjord Wilderness. The lines can be smoothed out using the Simplify Art tool to make them more visually appealing. The MAP Contour Tagger tool could then be used to manually create elevation labels for the contour lines, which allowed Aaron to select their exact placement in a visually appealing and uncrowded manner. Another important aspect of contour lines is that the text labels are readable, since they are usually obscured by the contour line itself. The Create Knockouts tool is perfect for ensuring that any text or features obscured by other features can be visible. Create Knockouts was used to create a gap in the contour lines where the contour labels (and other labels such as glacier names) exist.

The Grids & Graticules tool was essential in Aaron’s addition of such features to the map, with a UTM grid of 3000 meters being visible across the entirety of the map. Finally, Aaron used the Scale Bar and North Arrow features to easily ensure his finishing touches were placed correctly. Check out his north arrow that shows both true north and magnetic north and the difference between the two!

Learn more and enter the 2024 Avenza Map Contest here, and check out our other Map Spotlight blogs here!

What’s New in Geographic Imager 6.8?

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We are very pleased to announce the release of Geographic Imager version 6.8, the latest version of our Geographic Imager® extension for Adobe Photoshop®. 

With Geographic Imager v6.8, we are announcing the brand new Export Contours tool, official compatibility with macOS Sonoma (version 14), and several performance enhancements and bug fixes.

Here’s what you can expect with the latest Geographic Imager v6.8 release:

Export Contours Tool

Contour lines can be the perfect contextual element to add the finishing touches to your map. However, sometimes it can be difficult to find vector contour line data for your region or to find contour line data at the desired interval. Luckily, the new Export Contour tool in Geographic Imager is the perfect solution for this problem!

The Export Contour tool allows you to use imported elevation data in the form of a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) to create custom contour lines and export them as a vector file for use in MAPublisher. It is easily accessible from the Geographic Imager panel with its very own brand new button.

The Export Contours tool has several parameters that you can customize before exporting, such as interval between lines, base contour offset, and elevation attribute name. These options are easy to set and adjust in the Export Contour dialog box that appears when you click the button on the Geographic Imager panel.

Your contours can be exported in a variety of file formats, including shapefiles, KMZ files or GeoJSON files. If desired, you can add the contours to your current PSD document as paths. This is a convenient way to preview them and make changes if necessary before importing them into MAPublisher.

Once exported, your contours are ready for use in virtually any GIS software or application, such as MAPublisher!

Compatibility with macOS Sonoma

We want our users to enjoy fully optimized freedom with our products. As such, we are also happy to announce that Geographic Imager is now officially compatible with the most recent version of macOS Sonoma (version 14).

Geographic Imager 6.8 is Available Now!

If you would like to learn more about the new Geographic Imager 6.8 features or have any questions, please check out our Support Centre.

Geographic Imager v6.8 is available immediately, free of charge to all current Geographic Imager users with active maintenance subscriptions and as an upgrade for non-maintenance users.

For more information about the brand new Export Contours tool, please visit its support documentation page.

Avenza Releases Geographic Imager 6.8 for Adobe Photoshop

News

Toronto, ON, May 15, 2024 – Avenza Systems Inc., producers of the Avenza Maps® app for mobile devices and geospatial extensions for Adobe Creative Cloud®, including MAPublisher® for Adobe Illustrator®, is pleased to announce the release of Geographic Imager® version 6.8 for Adobe Photoshop®. This version introduces the new Export Contours tool, official compatibility with macOS Sonoma (version 14), and also includes several performance enhancements and bug fixes.

Geographic Imager for Adobe Photoshop delivers an all-encompassing solution to import, edit, and export geospatial images such as aerial and satellite imagery. Work with digital elevation models, GeoTIFFs, and other popular GIS image formats, using Adobe Photoshop features such as transparencies, filters, cropping, and image adjustments, while maintaining georeferencing and support for hundreds of coordinate systems and projections.

New features for Geographic Imager v6.8 for Adobe Photoshop include:

  • Export Contours tool: The new Export Contours tool allows users to input raster elevation data to output vector contour lines that can be exported for use in MAPublisher.
  • macOS Sonoma compatibility: Geographic Imager officially supports the new macOS Sonoma (version 14) update.
  • Additional performance enhancements and bug fixes

Users require a valid Adobe Creative Cloud subscription and a compatible operating system to utilize the improvements and enhancements offered in Geographic Imager v6.8. For questions and information on how compatibility requirements may affect your organization, please contact our Support Centre.

Geographic Imager v6.8 is available immediately and free of charge to all current Geographic Imager Maintenance Program members and starts at US$399 for non-maintenance upgrades. New fixed licenses start at US$859. Geographic Imager Basic Edition licenses start at US$129. Academic, floating, and volume license pricing is also available. Visit www.avenza.com/geographic-imager for more information.

More about Avenza Systems Inc.

Avenza Systems Inc. is an award-winning, privately held corporation that provides cartographers and GIS professionals with powerful software tools to make better maps. Avenza also offers the mobile Avenza Maps app to sell, purchase, distribute, and use maps on iOS and Android devices.
For further information contact: +1 416-487-5116 – info@avenza.com – www.avenza.com

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