Discussion: Printing courses on predominantly yellow maps

Can anyone recommend a good CMYK color composition for course overprint on a predominantly yellow (golf course) map so that it is nice and visible against the mostly yellow background? Thanks!

Alternatively you could try lightening the yellow on the map.

Have you tried increasing the thickness of the lines and circles?

Thanks Gord and Tom. Good suggestions. I ended up lightening the rough open yellow color. I think it worked ok, but I might tinker with this some more in the future.

In ISOM there is an option to use 75% yellow for 401 open land, it says:
"If yellow coloured areas become dominant, a screen (75% instead of full yellow) may be used." Surprisingly this option is not officially available in ISSprOM.

If you are going to reduce the darkness of full yellow it makes sense to also reduce the darkness of rough open a corresponding amount, from 50% to around 37%

Also white halos around the purple overprint helps. Except that has the drawback of obscuring more map detail - need to be extra sure to cut lines and circles where necessary

Halo is available around all purple overprint? I thought it was just available for the numbers. As so many of the maps in this area are dominated by mixes of green and yellow and are shy in fine detail I'd love to know how to halo the lines and circles, too. Please.

In Condes 10, you can shade the circles & lines too -

Canvas
Course Overprint Symbols...
Additional Dimensions and Fonts tab

In Condes 9, it is under Canvas, Course Color

Do not see the option in Purple Pen, just for the circles.

It's only for the numbers in PurplePen but you are able to export to OCAD and then revise the circles to suit in there. I've not done it myself so I'm not sure how cut circles are affected.

Thanks for the correction tRicky. Numbers translated to control circles in my head...but, then I don't use PP much.

We used to use Corpse here in the far southern WA but switched to PP several years ago and most people here now use that. I *think* Corpse used to let you use white halos on circles but it also had a limited capacity to cut circles (1/8 at a time and only in pre-designated positions).

My wife is setting an event in Vic and is attempting to use PP but her course controller insist she uses Condes, which she's not used before! He's doesn't seem to want to learn PP to accommodate her but insists she do the accommodating instead.

In Purple Pen it's true that only numbers can have a white outline, not the circles, despite many pleas to Peter G. However, in Event Customize Appearance setting the purple colour to blend with underlying colours will give more of a brown colour on a yellow background, which does stand out better.

I only use that option on predominantly white maps (i.e. bush and MTBO). On urban maps I'll use the overprint because I thought blending looked worse.

Given the number of Metro events we've had this season and the wide variation in circle settings that have been used during that time (overprint/blending; circle sizes; line widths), I'm sure I can have a look through and see which is the best.

Interesting, I looked and ISSprOM does not have the same 75% yellow allowance. I wonder why?

It is strange, as you might expect sprint maps to have a greater proportion of open land. Still, if you're mapping for a minor event you could use the 75%, and probably no-one would notice.

I'd notice. I didn't even run at the Kent St Weir event for our Metro season last year and I noticed.

It's a lot easier to notice mapping standard deviations when you are not running - just looking at the map in your armchair. The real test is, did you notice (and did it make the map harder to read) during the race.

Based on the suggestions provided here and elsewhere, I ended up lightening the rough open and adding white shading around the control numbers. That improved the readability significantly, though it's still not perfect. It was certainly good enough for the beginner-focused events this weekend. Thanks everyone!