U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps are printed using up to six

colors (black, blue, green, red, brown,

and purple). To prepare your own maps

or artwork based on maps, you can order

separate black-and-white film positives

or negatives for any color printed on a

USGS topographic map, or for one or

more of the groups of related features

printed in the same color on the map

(such as drainage and drainage names

from the blue plate.)

In this document, examples are shown

with appropriate ink color to illustrate

the various separates. When purchased,

separates are black-and-white film

negatives or positives.

After you receive a film separate or

composite from the USGS, you can crop,

enlarge or reduce, and edit to add or

remove details to suit your special needs.

For example, you can adapt the separates

for making regional and local planning

maps or for doing many kinds of studies

or promotions by using the features you

select and then printing them in colors of

your choice.

Color separates

It is possible to order a separate, fullscale film negative or positive that shows

in black and white all the features printed

in a given color on a particular map.

For example, USGS standard 7.5-minute

topographic maps are printed using these

colors:

Black for cultural features, boundaries,

and names.

Blue for water features.

Red for highway classifications, built-up

areas, fence lines, and U.S. Public Land

Survey lines.

Green for areas of woodland, scrub,

orchards, and vineyards.

Brown for topographic features,

including contour lines.

Purple for photorevised data, not field

checked, consisting of a variety of added

features.

Two different colors are used for a few

features. For example, on 1:24,000-scale

maps, primary roads have black casing

with red fill; secondary roads have black

casing without fill.

Color feature separates

Color feature separates are available for

most USGS topographic maps.

In the feature-separation approach, the

major features to be printed in each color

are divided into groups before they are

combined to form a master color plate

for printing, making it possible for a map

user to prepare maps and omit extraneous information.

For example, USGS standard 1:100,000-

scale maps are printed using these colors,

each color having one or several of these

features on individual plates:

Black: Side panel, lettering (culture,

margin), projection (State grid ticks),

miscellaneous culture, civil boundaries,

primary and supplementary bathymetric

contours, urban tint, UTM grid lines,

roads (classes 1 to 5).

Blue: Side panel, drainage, lettering,

open water, marsh/swamp, mangrove,

intermittent water, inundated,

supplemental and index contour lines

(bathymetric).

Green: Side panel, woodland tint,

orchard, vineyard, scrub.

Red: Side panel, lettering (road shields),

roads (classes 1 and 2), land lines (Public

Land Survey System).

Brown: Side panel, lettering (contour

line numbers), contour lines,

supplemental contour lines, sand,

intricate surface (that is, landfills,

mining, and so on).

Some features are printed in more than

one color.

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Fact Sheet 042-01

April 2001

Map Separates

Keystone Dam Quadrangle, Oklahoma, 7.5-minute series.
You can order film materials of any

available feature separate or a composite

of two or more feature separates.

Ordering options and terms used

on the order forms

 Feature separateCfilm negative or

positive for selected types of data in the

map preparation process.

 Color separateCfilm negative or

positive for each color required in the

printing process. (Usually includes

several related feature separates.)

 CompositeCthe combination of any

number of color or feature separates on a

single piece of film.

 Film thickness--0.007" (0.1778 mm).

0.007 film is a good stable base material

for uses requiring accurate registration of

separates or composites and is also

appropriate for masters used to produce

diazo paper or film copies. 

 Left reading or right reading is based

on viewing the film material with

emulsion toward the reader. Right

reading means that the image is readable

from left to right. Left reading means

that the image is "unreadable" because it

is a mirror image.

Some examples are listed below:

 Left-reading positiveCused for diazo

copying.

 Left-reading negativeCused as the

standard product for press plates and

paper printing. Since the emulsion

contacts the reproduction medium, it

avoids any distortion caused by exposing

through the thickness of the film.

 Right-reading negativeCused to

produce duplicate negatives for special

accuracy requirements.

 Right-reading positiveCused to add

features by ink or drawing pens and to

overlay (stack) features as the base for

making negatives.

 Matte or frosted positiveCused as a

base to add features by inking; a good

writing surface. It is also used for stickup materials, such as names and symbols

on transparent tape.

Black color separate showing cultural features,

boundaries, and names.

Blue color separate showing water features.

Red color separate showing highway classifications, builtup areas, and U.S. Public Land Survey lines.

Green color separate showing areas of woodland.

Brown color separate of topographic features, showing

contour lines.

Purple color separate showing photorevised data, not field

checked, consisting of a variety of added features.
 Green or blue line positiveCa matte

film with the base (background) printed

in green or blue so that additions could

be added in ink. The background can be

photographically "washed out" by

camera copy to produce a separate of the

added features only.

 Open windowCthe open area on a

negative on which a screen or pattern

may be placed to indicate features such

as water, woodlands, or scrub. In many

cases, map separation materials can be

requested without the open window

separation.

 Standard screenCthe rating of the tone

produced by tint screens is designated in

percentage of ink coverage; therefore, a

10-percent screen will produce a very

light tone, and an 80-percent screen will

give a very dark tone.

A word of caution: This fact sheet and

the map separates and composites order

forms give general information. Some

map separate materials may not be

available. We recommend contacting an

Earth Science Information Center (ESIC)

to discuss your specific needs before

ordering.

How to order color separates or

color feature separates

1. Obtain the map name, series, and scale

from a map index. Currently published

USGS topographic maps are listed in the 

Index to Topographic and Other Map

Coverage. Each index covers at least one

State.

2. Order and examine the paper copy of

the map to help in selecting the specific

color or feature separates you desire.

3. Complete a Map Separates Order

Form for:

 1:20,000-, 1:24,000-, 1:25,000-,

1:62,500-, and 1:63,360-scale maps

 1:100,000-scale maps 

 1:500,000-scale maps

 1:250,000-scale maps 

Feature separations for other map series,

such as State base maps, National Atlas

maps, and United States maps, use

different color schemes. Check with an

ESIC for the exact inventory of feature

separates for each map ordered.

Order forms and topographic and other

maps of the United States published or

distributed by the USGS can be obtained

from any ESIC office or by calling

1-888-ASK-USGS.

Information

For information on these and other

USGS products and services, call 1-888-

ASK-USGS, use the Ask.USGS fax

service, which is available 24 hours a

day at 703-648-4888, or visit the general

interest publications Web site on

mapping, geography, and related topics

at mac.usgs.gov/mac/isb/pubs/pubslists/

index.html.

For additional information, visit the

ask.usgs.gov Web site or the USGS home

page at www.usgs.gov.