Creating the neatline

The neatline component is made up of polyline features in the segments feature class. These lines follow the boundary of the source polygon, and any number of neatlines may be created. See Creating the grid component for additional information.

The neatline is offset from the source feature (area of interest), and all segments that make up the neatline can have the same setting or be unique.

You can define the neatline so the line segments have the following settings:

• All line segments have the same settings.
• Each line segment may have different settings—Each segment can have any number of child components, with settings that are different from each other. Any changes made to a segment do not affect the remaining segments.

You can also set the offset from the source polygon using any numeric value along with any supported ArcGIS unit.

Learn more about grid units

Options are also available for the neatline densification:

• Source Area of Interest Coordinate System—The neatline and its associated segments have extra vertices added using the source area of interest (AOI) feature class's spatial reference. The result is a neatline with vertices that adjust more to project differences between the grid's primary coordinate system and the AOI's coordinate system. This option is useful if the AOI is stored using a cylindrical/rectangular spatial reference (that is, WGS84, UTM, Mercator) and the grid's primary coordinate system is not (that is, conic, azimuthal). If your goal is to have a neatline that projects more accurately (more changes in neatline shape) in the primary coordinate system, this setting should be used. For example, a rectangular AOI defined in WGS84 using only four vertices is used to create a grid that has a primary coordinate system that is curved conformal conic.
• Grid Primary Coordinate System—The neatline and its associated segments have extra vertices added using the grid's primary coordinate system. The result is a neatline with vertices that minimize the visual difference between the grid's primary coordinate system and the AOI's coordinate system if they differ. This option is useful if the AOI is stored in cylindrical/rectangular spatial reference (that is, WGS84, UTM, Mercator) and the grid's primary coordinate system is not (that is, conic, azimuthal). If your goal is to have a neatline that remains less altered in the primary coordinate system, this setting should be used. For example, a rectangular AOI defined in WGS84 using only four vertices is used to create a grid that has a primary coordinate system that is polyconic; however, if the neatline is to remain more rectangular, this option should be used.

Options are also available for clipping:

• Clip the neatline and all subcomponents to a zone—The check box disables and enables the Coordinate System Zones drop-down list.
• Coordinate System Zones—The coordinate system zone is a coordinate system that is derived from a feature class. The coordinate system zones can be set up within the Grid Properties dialog box under the Grid General tab.
• Ordinal Rank—Prioritize which coordinate system zone will be clipped.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. On the main menu, click Customize > Toolbars > Production Cartography to add the Production Cartography toolbar.
3. Click the Grids and Graticules Designer window button on the Production Cartography toolbar.
4. Create or load a grid.
5. If necessary, right-click the Grid component in the tree view and click Add > Neatline.
6. In the tree view, right-click the Neatline component and click Properties.

   The Neatline Properties window appears.
7. Type a value in the Offset (+/-) text box.
8. If you want the offset segments to connect to each other, check the Connect offset segments check box.
9. Choose the corresponding units for the neatline offset from the source polygon.
10. Click the appropriate settings for line segments in the Settings area.
11. Click the appropriate option in the Neatline Densification area.
12. If necessary, check the Clip the neatline and all subcomponents to a zone check box.
13. Click the Coordinate System Zone drop down and choose a feature class.
    Note:

    You must have preloaded a feature class in the Coordinate System Zone area on the Grid General tab.