Community

ArcGIS Online Print Templates

5565
12
04-24-2019 10:15 AM
Status: Open
Joshua-Young
by
Occasional Contributor III

Organizations that rely on ArcGIS Online for their GIS need the ability to design simple print templates in the browser and make those templates available to the default print service. 

  1. Support for print templates as items in ArcGIS Online
  2. Support for the default print service to be pointed to print templates to build a list of templates available. I think this should be a parameter list so that things like the Print Widget can be used to populate the list.
  3. Support for standard ArcGIS Online security/sharing so that print templates can be secured if needed
  4. A new WYSIWYG layout editor app in ArcGIS Online (not looking for ArcGIS Pro here just basic elements). Allow users to define:
    1. the map frame
    2. text boxes
    3. images (PNG, JPEG, SVG, etc.)
    4. legend (needs better options for handling overflow of legend items than the way it works now)
    5. scale bar
    6. north arrow
    7. simple graphics (points, lines, and polygons)
    8. page orientation
    9. page size
    10. support for Shared Theme

I know the trend in GIS is to go all digital, but in my opinion there are still many users that need access to printable maps that quickly convey a story to the person looking at it.

12 Comments
JoabelBarbieri
by
‎03-10-2022 02:05 PM

We definitely need an option to publish our own templates on AGOL just like we can do in the ArcGIS enterprise Portal

JamesShreeve
by
‎09-13-2022 12:39 AM

Completely agree. Fully understand GIS is going more digital but that can't be at the detriment of other forms, I work in Local Government and administer our ArcGIS account - the biggest 'flaw' for users is that the map file (PDF etc.) is not formatted in a corporate style. 'Physical' maps are still very important and are used daily for site visits, sharing with the public and adding into reports just to name a few. I think an enhancement to the print widget to allow organisations to store print templates as items (or something similar) is a must. I know this can be done using ArcGIS enterprise but that isn't an option for a small organisation like ourselves. 

WA_Holmes
by
‎11-17-2022 03:50 AM

I would say that this issue is the main thing that's holding back our corporate use of ArcGIS Online.  As the GIS Officer I've tried migrating our desktop systems into Online and tried to create as many self-service apps as possible, but the output people generally want is a PDF that is branded and inserted into contracts, tenancy agreements or planning applications.  What has actually happened is I've increased the number of people wanting to print maps that are now coming to me because I'm the only person using ArcGIS Pro.  It doesn't matter whether the map physically gets printed to paper, we need the ability to publish official looking documents in our house style.

mspinelli_sfd
by
‎01-10-2023 07:56 AM

PDF maps are essential in emergency response. We continue to develop and grow our AGOL, but leadership and crews need the ability to print directly from a web map/app in a manner that is branded and meets district standards. 

greg_price
by
‎01-11-2023 04:29 PM

Being able to Print with proper branding, disclaimers (title blocks) is an essential and often legal requirement for Councils. 

MatthewMalone
by
‎03-10-2023 09:23 AM

As an AGO user since the beginning, the lack of ability to use your own custom print templates is very, very frustrating.  When we had ArcGIS Server in-house during the .NET days, the ability to point to our own MXD-based templates from the print task was a godsend in terms of map quality.  In local government, the need to print out maps is absolutely essential.  That means we need logos, legends, marginalia, to look and feel like they're directly from our organization.

 

I certainly hope that the experts with AGO can figure out a way for us to create/run a print task with our own templates as an item.  It's a long time coming in my opinion.

SamJakson
by
‎08-07-2023 02:49 AM

bump, the default ESRI print service template doesn't even have a north arrow! It's simply not good enough and using custom ones should be basic functionality AGOK provides.

AndyGarwood
by
‎08-10-2023 07:02 AM

We are so close to a complete cloud set up, only the ability to use our own print templates is holding us back, they are still needed I am afraid and will continue to be for some time

I now have to install an enterprise set up on Azure servers (at a cost) to host 2 print templates - crazy....  and something extra for ESRI to support as well

If I could host print templates in AGOL then I would have no on prem set up - this is basic out of the box functionality, I was so shocked to find missing from a world leading GIS provider

Come on ESRI! pleeease 😄

mattmerc
by
‎08-30-2023 03:57 PM

Yes! What @AndyGarwood said. I literally would need to stand up a server just to serve a custom print template that is the same thing as the default except with a north arrow added. Otherwise the client will open in PPT and put in their own North arrow and wonder why a map has no north arrow..... This is confusing because there are no north arrow in the standard layout for web app builder but it is right there in standard layout created with the print button for the Map viewer. May this has been solved for experience builder?