Add a North Arrow and Legend in Print Layout

Introduction

A print layout is a QGIS feature for printing the map you created or exporting it to PDF, image files, and more. With it, you can arrange your QGIS map neatly and share it in a format suitable for reports and presentations. Note that a map without basic elements such as a north arrow and a scale is less reliable and conveys information less accurately.

This article explains, step by step, how to create a print layout in QGIS and export it to PDF.

Preparation: create a map

Before you create a print layout, add layers to QGIS and create a map.

In this article, the map uses the “Dam” data from National Land Numerical Information. It is colored with the Graduated renderer, based on the attribute for total storage capacity (W01_010).

Create a new print layout

Once the map is ready, create a print layout.

In the menu bar, choose Project → New Print Layout.

A dialog asks for the print layout title. Enter a suitable name and click OK.

The print layout window opens. A blank sheet of paper (the layout) appears in the center of the window.

Add various items to this layout to build the map for output.

Parts of the print layout window

The print layout window is organized as shown below.

The layout sits in the center of the window. Select the items you want to add (a map, a title, a legend, and so on) from the left side and place them on the layout.

The Items panel on the right lists the items you have placed.

Use the Layout and Item Properties panels to configure the layout and the items you add.

Initial print layout settings

Set the paper size

Before you start building the layout, set the paper size.

By default, a print layout is A4 landscape. To change it, right-click the layout and choose Page Properties.

The Item Properties panel at the bottom right switches to the page settings.

Here you can change the layout size, orientation, background color, and more, so adjust them for your purpose.

Turn on the grid and snapping to align items neatly

As you add items to the layout, showing the grid helps you place them neatly. This setting is optional, so set it as you prefer.

In the menu bar, choose View → Show Grid.

A grid of dots appears on the layout, although it is a little hard to see.

Next, set up snapping.

In the menu bar, choose View → Snap to Grid.

With this setting on, items snap to the grid when you place them, so you can arrange them in an orderly way.

When you move the mouse pointer near the grid while placing an item, a red “×” mark appears. If you drag and drop in this state, the item snaps to that position.

You can change the grid settings in the Layout panel at the bottom right. By default, the grid is shown at 10 mm intervals and the snap tolerance is 5 px.

To change the grid spacing, adjust the Grid spacing value. A larger Snap tolerance makes items snap to the grid more easily, so adjust it to suit your work.

Add and adjust a map item

Now add items to the print layout.

In a print layout, elements such as the map area, legend, and north arrow are called items.

Add a map item

When you add your first item to a print layout, it helps to add a map, which serves as the base for the layout.

Click the Add Map button on the left toolbar.

The mouse pointer changes to a “+”. Drag and drop on the layout to draw the map area.

When you drop, the map item appears on the layout. Depending on your data, drawing can take a while.

Adjust the map display area

The area shown in the map item is based on the area displayed in the map canvas. So the map item may show a different place from the one you want, and you may need to adjust the display area.

To change the display area, click the Move Item Content button on the toolbar.

On the layout, drag and drop to adjust the display area, and roll the mouse wheel to change the scale.

Here, the display is adjusted to center on the part of Hokkaido that has dam points.

Adjust the scale

You can adjust the scale with the mouse wheel in Move Item Content, but you can also enter a value directly for finer control.

First, make sure the Select/Move Item button on the toolbar is active (pressed). With it active, you can select items on the layout.

Click the map item on the layout to select it. A selected item has a blue outline.

Next, open the Item Properties panel.

Main Properties has a Scale field. Edit the value there to adjust the scale of the layout.

Here, the scale is set to 3500000 to get a round number.

Add a frame

Finally, add a frame (border) to the map item.

With the map item selected, check Frame in Item Properties. Expand Frame with the ▼ to adjust the color, thickness, and more.

A frame makes the boundary of the item easier to see, so add one if you like.

Add a map title with a label

Now that the map item is added and adjusted, add a label to this layout. A label is an item for text such as a title.

Click the Add Label button on the toolbar.

Add the label by dragging and dropping, the same way you added the map item.

Here, the label is placed at the top left of the map item.

You can change the label text, size, and more in Item Properties. To change the text, enter the title you want in the text box at the bottom of Main Properties. Here, the title is 北海道：ダム貯水量マップ (Hokkaido: Dam Water Storage Map).

To change how the label looks, use Appearance. You can change the font with the Font button just below Appearance. Here, the font size is set to 20, Horizontal alignment to Center, and Vertical alignment to Middle.

Add a frame in the same way as for the map item.

Resize an item

If you change the font size and the text no longer fits in the label item, as shown below, adjust the font size or the size of the label item as needed.

To resize an item, select it, move the cursor to a corner of the item, and drag and drop.

The final adjustment looks like this.

Add a legend

A legend is a list that explains the meaning of the colors and symbols used for the features on a map. It tells readers what the elements shown on the map represent.

To add a legend, click the Add Legend button on the toolbar.

As before, place the legend wherever you like. Add a frame to the legend too.

Remove items from the legend

By default, a legend includes all the layers added to the map canvas. Here, the legend should show which value range each color of the dam layer represents, so adjust the items to display.

With the legend selected, clear Auto update under Legend Items in Item Properties. Next, select the layer you do not want in the legend from the list. Finally, click the - button to remove the selected layer from the legend.

Change the names shown in the legend

To change a name shown in the legend, select the layer you want to change and click the Edit selected item properties button.

Change the text in the Label field to change the name shown in the legend.

After you apply these changes, adjust the size and position.

Add a scale bar

A scale bar is a bar with graduations that shows the relationship between distances on the map and real distances. Adding a scale bar lets you see visually how far the distances shown on the map are in the real world.

To add a scale bar, click the Add Scale Bar button on the toolbar.

Place the scale bar wherever you like.

Change the scale bar style

You can also change the display settings of the scale bar in Item Properties.

Use Style under Main Properties to change the scale bar style.

The default is Single Box, but many other styles are available, including Line Ticks Up, Line Ticks Middle, and Numeric.

Change the scale bar divisions

You can also change the scale bar's Units and its number of divisions (Segments).

Here, Fixed width is changed to 100 km.

Add a north arrow

Next, add a north arrow.

To add a north arrow, click the Add North Arrow button on the toolbar.

Place the north arrow wherever you like.

Change the north arrow style

As with the other items, you can change the style of the north arrow in Item Properties.

Use the SVG browser to change the north arrow symbol. Select the arrows folder under SVG Groups, then choose the north arrow you like from the SVG images on the right.

Scroll further down to find SVG Parameters. Change the colors there to change the color of the north arrow.

With these settings applied, the layout looks like this.

Export the print layout to PDF

You have now built the layout shown below by adding various items.

As the last step, export the layout to PDF.

In the menu bar, choose Layout → Export as PDF.

The Export to PDF dialog opens. Edit the file name as needed and click Save.

The PDF Export Options dialog opens. Leave the options as they are and click Save.

The exported PDF contains the layout you created.

Besides PDF, you can also export the layout as an image or print it directly on a printer.

Save the print layout

When you finish the print layout, save it.

A print layout is stored in the project file, so saving the project saves the print layout too.

Click the Save Project button on the toolbar to save the project.

Open a layout from the Layout Manager

To reopen a layout saved in the project, use the Layout Manager. In the menu bar of the QGIS main window, choose Project → Layout Manager.

The Layout Manager lists the titles you gave your layouts when you created them. Double-click the layout you want.

The layout appears in the state you saved.

Conclusion

The QGIS print layout feature lets you arrange a map neatly, print it, or export it as a PDF. This article does not cover every item, but you can add many others, such as attribute tables and images. With print layouts, you can efficiently create maps for reports and field surveys.

Print layouts also include an atlas feature, which outputs a map for each feature of a specified layer in bulk, using the same layout. The following article describes this feature in detail.