Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Diagrams and maps
 | The following is a proposed Wikipedia policy, guideline, or process. The proposal may still be in development, under discussion, or in the process of gathering consensus for adoption. |
 | This page in a nutshell: When creating maps or diagrams for use on Wikipedia, it is recommended that they assume a generic style and be saved in a vector format. |
The following are [draft] Wikipedia guidelines for creating maps and diagrams.
Preferred file formats
It is preferable that maps and diagrams be saved in the SVG file format. This is an open standard for vector image files. If saving the image as a raster graphic, the PNG file format is generally preferred.
Fonts
If you are creating an SVG image, it is recommended that you use web-safe fonts for your titles and labels. These fonts include Arial, Courier New, Times New Roman, Verdana, and Trebuchet MS.
Colors
When considering what colors to use in maps and diagrams, try to use colors that are subtle and pleasant rather than bold and garish. Also, try to avoid using colors in a way that would cause difficulty for those with color blindness.
Colors for maps
The following colors are recommended (though not mandatory) for use in creating maps:
| Color | Hex | RGB | Sample | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black | #000000 | 0, 0, 0 | Primary label color | |
| Brown | #A08070 | 160, 128, 112 | Political borders. Country, state, and province borders should be brown. | |
| Light brown | #D0C0A0 | 208, 192, 160 | Secondary political borders. | |
| Light yellow | #FFFFD0 | 255, 255, 208 | Primary territory of interest. | |
| Tan | #F7D3AA | 247, 211, 170 | Territories surrounding the primary territory of interest. | |
| Medium blue | #9EC7F3 | 158, 199, 243 | Bodies of water. Oceans or lakes. | |
| Blue | #1821DE | 24, 33, 222 | Water borders, if necessary, or for rivers. | |
| Red | #B00000 | 176, 0, 0 | Points of interest. Cities, especially. | |
| Red-orange | #F07568 | 240, 117, 104 | Alternative color for the above Red (points of interest). | |
| Medium red | #E0584E | 224, 88, 78 | Border color for areas highlighted in Red-orange | |
| Light green | #A0F090 | 160, 240, 144 | Parks or natural preservation areas |
Labels
- Bodies of water should be labeled in italics.