Atlas mapping in the 21st century

Atlases are changing. The paper paradigm of maps and atlases has pervaded recent cartographic history. By nature that paradigm serves, as well as defines, a specific audience in terms of use and presentation. In the lab and at the printing press, the paper paradigm demands certain design and production flows that will drastically change through evolutions in data structures, mapmaking techniques, and presentation methods. Technological transformations in mapping influence much of this change. The implications for the creation and distribution of atlases are significant. With that in mind, this paper addresses a number of issues that relate to the technological evolution of atlases from paper to digital products: the distinction between paper and digital products and services and the implications of that distinction for atlas design-particularly for web-based services; facilitating data and its application to the evolution of map/atlas products; and a redefinition of atlas and the audience for an atlas.