Creating Presentation Maps using ArcMap

The Layout View in ArcMap displays the map data in a preview layout on paper. This view allows for arranging multiple frames of data and placing map elements, such as a title, a legend, map scales, and other items.

To switch to Layout View, click the Layout button Layout Button at the lower-left corner of the display area, or select it in the View menu. In this view, map data is placed into various data frames. By default, one frame is already present; choose Insert > Data Frame to add more. For example, if you wanted to publish a poster featuring several maps, each displaying different information on the same location, each of those maps would be a data frame. The contents and views within data frames is controlled by adding data, checking and unchecking, or removing items in the table of contents on the left. A wide range of frame properties, including background or outline colors, size and position, extent rectangles, and other items can be edited by right-clicking the data frame and choosing Properties.

Map elements, including a title, neatlines, a legend, a north arrow, and others, can be placed through the Insert menu. Items are easily moved around the layout, and various properties for elements are accessed by right-clicking and selecting Properties.

For more details, see Mapping and Visualization in ArcMap or the Publishing Maps tutorial.