Design of the maps in volume II of the Great Soviet Atlas of the World

D. I. Smirnov describes the design of Volume II of the Great Soviet World Atlas, which contains general, economic, and historical maps of the Soviet Union. General maps at scales from 1:500,000 to 1:7,500,000 use a common 16-step elevation color scale, with some simplification at smaller scales. He explains the balance between distinguishable elevation bands, visual relief, and printing constraints, using darker colors toward higher elevations and pale-blue shading for glaciers. Printing experience with Volume I led to black being used for the graticule, hydrography, settlements, and railways to reduce registration errors; unpaved roads were printed in red, and labels received a separate black printing pass. Economic maps required a unified combination of line symbols and colored backgrounds for industry, agricultural specialization, transport, minerals, forests, and mountainous relief. Smirnov records two to three years of experimental map preparation during which the symbols were progressively refined.