--- title: "Surfer Getting Started Guide: Finishing touches" description: Add finishing touches to your map in Surfer, a powerful 2D and 3D data visualization tool used by thousands of geoscience professionals. --- [![Screenshot 2025-09-16 at 11.39.57 AM](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-09-16%20at%2011.39.57%20AM.png?width=31&height=30&name=Screenshot%202025-09-16%20at%2011.39.57%20AM.png "Screenshot 2025-09-16 at 11.39.57 AM")](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/?hsLang=en) Open main menu Close main menu [![logo_GoldenSoftware_Web_Sm](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo_GoldenSoftware_Web_Sm.png?width=300&height=44&name=logo_GoldenSoftware_Web_Sm.png "logo_GoldenSoftware_Web_Sm")](http://www.goldensoftware.com/) # ![icon-Surfer_21](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/hs-fs/hubfs/icon-Surfer_21.png?width=114&height=57&name=icon-Surfer_21.png)Surfer Getting Started Guide ## Adding Finishing Touches It's now time to make our beautiful map easy to understand for all audiences. A map isn't truly finished until it is clear to a viewer what the map and each of its components represent.  Depending on the type of information being presented this could involve adding legends, north arrows, scale bars, graticules, and numerous other features to your map.   To finish our exercise, we'll add a legend and title to the map. --- ![GSG - Finishing - Legend PM - General](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/hubfs/Getting%20Started%20Guides/GSG%20-%20Finishing%20-%20Legend%20PM%20-%20General.png "GSG - Finishing - Legend PM - General") ![GSG - Finishing - Legend PM - Layers](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/hubfs/Getting%20Started%20Guides/GSG%20-%20Finishing%20-%20Legend%20PM%20-%20Layers.png "GSG - Finishing - Legend PM - Layers") ![GSG - Finishing -Title](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/hubfs/Getting%20Started%20Guides/GSG%20-%20Finishing%20-Title.png "GSG - Finishing -Title") **Map Legend & Titles** ➡️ Add a map legend: 1. Click **Map Tools | Add to Map | Legend** 2. Click on the *Legend* in the **Contents** window to select it. 3. On the **General** tab in the **Properties** window, 1. Click *None* in the *Type* field and select *Square* 2. Enter *Well Sampling Locations* in the *Title text* field 4. On the **Layers** tab, delete \\*value* from the *Template* field. 5. Click and drag the legend so that it sits above the color scale ➡️ Add a map title: 1. Click *Top Axis* in the **Contents** window to select it. 2. On the **General** page in the **Properties** window, enter *Harney Basin, OR Groundwater Elevation Contour* in the *Title text* field. 📢 Pro Tip: Click the Text Editor (![](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/hs-fs/hubfs/image-png-3.png?width=14&height=15&name=image-png-3.png)) icon to open a dialog that makes it easy to add specialized formatting including special characters and mathematical equations to your titles. 1. Expand *Font properties* and increase the *Size (points)* to *18* 2. Check the box next to *Bold*. --- ![GSG - Finished Map](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Getting%20Started%20Guides/GSG%20-%20Finished%20Map.png?width=630&height=600&name=GSG%20-%20Finished%20Map.png "GSG - Finished Map") Surfer offers many options for you to display the combination of layers needed to accurately tell the story of your site. Now that you understand the basic map creation & editing process, we encourage you to play around with the extensive modeling options!  Ready to explore more? Check out these resources as potential next steps: - [View your model in 3D and export to 3D PDF](https://support.goldensoftware.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038493693-Export-models-from-Surfer-s-3D-View) - [Add detailed drillhole models to your map](https://support.goldensoftware.com/hc/en-us/articles/1260804735310-Create-a-Drillhole-map-in-Surfer) - [Dive deeper into Surfer's features with the full 1 hour tutorial](https://surferhelp.goldensoftware.com/tutorial/Tutorial_Introduction.htm) - [Peruse our training videos and webinar recordings](https://support.goldensoftware.com/hc/en-us/sections/115001027227-Surfer-Training-Videos-and-Webinar-Recordings) [Previous: Customizing Your Map](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/getting-started-guide-surfer-map-customization?hsLang=en) [Back to Beginning](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/getting-started-surfer-intro?hsLang=en) [Buy Now!](https://shop.goldensoftware.com/surfer) [![logo_GS_Web_White_Retina_01](https://gs.goldensoftware.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Banners%20and%20Logos/logo_GS_Web_White_Retina_01.png?width=300&height=44&name=logo_GS_Web_White_Retina_01.png "logo_GS_Web_White_Retina_01")](http://www.goldensoftware.com/)   PO Box 281 Golden, CO 80402-0281 USA [info@goldensoftware.com](mailto:info@goldensoftware.com) 303.279.1021 [Follow us on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/golden-software) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/GoldenSoftware1/) [Follow us on Twitter](https://x.com/GoldenSoftware1) [Follow us on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/golden_software/?hl=en) [Follow us on Facebook](https://www.youtube.com/user/GoldenSoftware)   Copyright © 2025 Golden Software, LLC. 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