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Adjusting Symbology

Now we are going to change the symbology of the Deaths and Broad St. Pump so that they are more visible. Follow the steps as outlined and refer to the video below.

Note This section covers question 11 in the module quiz


Table of contents
  1. Adding Labels
  2. Symbolize by Count
  3. Save your project.

1) Click on Deaths then click the Appearance tab, choose Single Symbol from the Symbology drop down.

  • The appearance tab let’s you make changes to the way data is represented on your map.

2) In the symbology pane that opens, under gallery, choose the red triangle, then adjust the properties to fine tune the symbology. Select the Broad St. Pump and symbolize the it as a larger circle marker in a different color.

  • You can change various properties of the point symbols to make them easier to see (eg. outline width, point size).
  • Size, color, and shape all convey meaning. We’ll discuss the various implications of symbology later in the semester.

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Adding Labels

Now we are going to add a label to Broad St. Pump so the map reader can identify it. Follow the steps as outlined and refer to the video below.

1) Right click on Broad St. Pump and click Label.

  • Note a label appears next to the point but it isn’t very easy to read.

2) Right click on Broad St. Pump again and click Labeling Properties, change the font size and add a halo to make the label easier to read.

  • Halos can make your text stand out against a background. Increasing the font size also helps the text stand out.
  • You can change many other aspects of the label text. Play around with the properties to see what happens when you make changes. Hit apply after each change.

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Symbolize by Count

Lets adjust the symbology so the Deaths feature class points are scaled by the number of deaths at each address. Follow the steps as outlined and refer to the video below.

1) Click on Deaths and navigate to symbology. Select graduated symbols from the drop down.

  • Graduated point symbols are sized differently to convey magnitude/intensity.

2) Play around with the symbology options.

  • Clicking template allows you to select a the point marker type.
  • The Size and Classes allow you to decide how many classes and how small-large the points should be.
  • The Class tab allows you to specify class breaks manually.

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Save your project.

Click Save in the top left of the Arc Pro window.