Hello. Full disclosure, I am a graphic designer who collaborates with Geospatial/GIS professionals.
I'm working on a publication that features many of the data accessed produced using ArcGIS online web service applications , hubs etc. by my team professionals.
I would like to provide print/export instructions for team members who supply me with data using the print/export features provided.
In addition, I particularly prefer the Albers projection which I feel produces nicer looking CONUS map. My prefered file type is vector .AIX (and .PDF to check the results) so I can enhance them for publications. We've had success in the past exporting from ArcMap and now ArcGIS Pro Desktop. A lot of the data are now uploaded and available on online web applications with the option to print/export downloads.
I understand the default base maps projection is 102100 WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere which I use for the zoomed in maps.
When I select 102003 USA_Contiguous_Albers_Equal_Area_Conic, I get mixed results for PDF. Sometimes the map is cropped. I've tried all the Map scale/extent options, drawing a box then trying all the options again. (Obviously, this is the draw feature is not intended to be used for as a crop area tool) A hover over with explanation in addition a link with more detailed help page that explains what each option including visuals of the results including most common uses to get one started would be greatly appreciated 🙂
Listed is what kind of worked with comments/questions
(Possibly some answers lie with the person building the web application can control?):
Layout: MAP ONLY (Non of the other options such as selecting Tabloid ANSI B Landscape) worked
Format: PDF to view online followed by .AIX
Advanced Possibly a drop down with pre-selection options in addition to a blank fill-in would be helpful for most all of these Advanced options
Preserve map extent
Output spatial reference WKID: 102100 USA Contiguous Albers Equal Area Conic (So many! Anyway to sort these by most frequently used or by Country, State etc?)
Layout metadata Scale bar unit: Miles (this did not print/export. There is no option to print/export a legend (possibly the person building this web app did not select this when building the app?)
MAP_ONLY size 5,600 x 3,300 px (17x11 in) Size varied closer to 8.5x11 possibly because of the DPI? Also, he default is ~2" square. Way to small. Is this something the person building the app can control?
Print Quality DPI 600 (Default 96 ...meh)
Feature attributes Include Tried with w/o did not know the difference. Again a hover
Topographic or Terrain base layer options: When selecting a larger CONUS layout, is there an Topographic or Terrain base layer without state labels or boundaries? This is the bottom most layer and is underneath other layers, they are hidden or appear fuzzy (even at 600 DPI) Is it possible to just have the raster hillshade and include an option for State Labels and Boundaries as vectors? I noticed other "base" layers are added over this one when exporting a zoomed in map. (Possibly this is what include attributes does for zoomed in maps?)
A team member provided me with print/export using a World Hillshade. This option does not exist on the web app I was working on.(Does the person building the web application control which basemap options are included? Or maybe its because it's an older application that was produced a few years back).
In closing, after all the trial and error, documenting the outcome. Is the answer: These need to be exported from ArcGIS Pro? ...though as I mentioned the publication is intended to highlight the data using online web services, hubs etc.
Thank you for your time. Please let me know if some of this content should be asked with the ArcGIS Maps for Adobe forum. I look forward to better understanding the print/export features.
