1. The document provides instructions for creating a virtual tour using Google Maps by taking photographs of typography around a city or town, uploading the photos, placing pins on a Google Map with the photos and locations, and sharing or exporting the map. 2. Key steps include photographing examples of typography, recording locations, uploading photos, signing into Google Maps, creating a map, adding pins with titles and descriptions at locations, and adding photos to the pins from your photo hosting site. 3. The finished map can then be shared by link, embedded in a webpage, or exported to Google Earth.

1. Making a Virtual Tour
Using Google maps/earth

2. Making Maps
There are many reasons to make public maps.
This photo tutorial will show you the basic steps
to creating your own virtual tour (see assignment
#5, Font Walk)

3. Preliminary Tasks
• Walk around part of your city/town
– Photograph interesting examples of typography
• Do not forget to look up!
– Record the address of the photo
• Other details of the placement of the typography
would also be useful
• Upload photos to your photo sharing site of
choice (I used Panoramio)
• Research the history of the type or the place
where it appeared

4. Creating Your Virtual Tour
Sign Up/Sign In
Note: Make sure the “stay signed in” box is
unchecked for security

5. Creating a Map
Once you have signed-in go to Google Maps
Along the left side you will
see a menu.
1. Click “My Places”
2. Click “Create Map”

6. Creating a Map
• Before you can continue
you must give your map
a title, description, and
choose to make it either
public or unlisted.
• It must be a public map
to embed it in your
website later.

7. Tools
1. Panning
2. Use current location
3. Zoom, and street view
4. Grab and pan
5. Place a pin
6. Draw a line
7. Map style and extras

8. Adding Pins
Navigate to your desired
location either by entering
the address into the
search bar or by zooming
and panning.
1. Click on the pin button
and then click on the map
where you would like to
place it.
2. Give the location a title
3. Give the location a
description
Note: for this project use the
“rich text” editor. In
other projects you can
use HTML.

9. Adding a Photo
•Go to your photo sharing site and right
click on the desired photo. Select “copy
image location”. This copies the URL
where your photo is stored.
•Note: Your photo should not exceed a
width of 330px.
•Go back to your map and click the “insert
photo” button in the pin editing bubble.
•Paste the image location you copied into
the space provided and press ok.

10. Sharing Your Map
• Click on the “link” button
• You can copy & paste
the link into e-mails or
instant messages
• Copy & paste the HTML
into your website HTML
editor to create a fully
functional Google Map
in a webpage.

11. Exporting to Google Earth
1. Save your map
2. Click “done”
3. Click on the “KML” button.
This will download the
Google Earth file for offline
viewing.