I would like to produce some good looking wall maps. I have an excellent data set, but it seems that most GIS packages are geared towards data analysis etc. as opposed to producing an aesthetically pleasing map, especially when it comes to printing.
What is the best solution for producing a good-looking map? I have tried Quantum GIS, but it refuses to print large maps thanks to a bug. I am looking for something A) with a half-decent GUI and B) that doesn't cost the Earth.
Answer
Most of the GIS packages I have used have excellent mapping tools. I can produce very good maps with QGIS for instance. So that's an option, if you can't run to the cost of ArcGIS. Yes it is a little more fiddly to get the exact result you want but excellent maps are perfectly possible. I am able to produce large maps with QGIS - but you have to sometimes turn off the option to "print as raster". I create them as PDFs and then print the PDF. I don't print direct from QGIS and I never printed directly from ArcGIS for that matter either.
Alternatively you can try MapNik. Its sole purpose is to create maps rather than analysis. Another, more obscure, product that might be worth a look is MapMaker. Another cheap product is Idrisi. These are just a few suggestions.
Given that some of the most beautiful cartography was done by hand using pens and paint, it is worth remembering that it is NOT any particular tool which produces the beautiful map but the cartographer. Map making is as much about art as it is science so the real limitations are artistry of the Cartographer and their imaginative use of whatever tools are available.
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