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Octo for symbology, layout and print

The sheets come out ready. Who signs the sheet is you.

QGIS exports layouts, atlases and reports to PDF without opening the interface, through qgis_process and PyQGIS, with georeferenced PDF and, since version 3.40, PDF/X-4 in CMYK. Octo pulls the style out of the project and into reviewable files, runs the atlas in batch, checks each PDF and counts the labels that didn't fit. Symbology, spelling of place names, color proofs, printed scale and signing stay with qualified people.

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A terminal exports an atlas through qgis_process; Octo, at the center, takes the result to a layout sheet with map, legend, scale bar and title block, and to a CMYK color strip with a 10-centimeter ruler for checking the printed scale $ qgis_process run native:atlaslayouttomultiplepdf -- GEOREFERENCE=true DPI=300 sheet_001.pdf geo yes sheet_002.pdf geo yes sheet_003.pdf geo NO CATALOG → QML + SLD HID-01 0.35 mm VIA-02 2.0/0.8 REL-01 0.25 mm VEG-01 25,0,35,0 LOC-01 10 pt ok review ok ok ok Vila Alta Rio Claro Legend river road contour forest village N 05001000 m SCALE 1:25,000 SHEET SF-22-Y-D-II-1-NO SIRGAS 2000 · UTM 22S TECHNICAL LEAD: PERSON fictitious data PDF/X-4 · PRINTER'S ICC PROFILE CMYK 10 cm ruler export QT_QPA_PLATFORM=offscreen OCTO × CARTOGRAPHY SYMBOLOGY C-06
QGIS latest4.2.3September 25, 2026; LTR 3.44.15
PDF/X-4 in CMYK3.40QGIS version that introduced the feature
GDAL3.13.3August 18, 2026; PDF driver with ISO 32000
Sources14listed at the end of the page
01

What Octo does with symbology and print.

Six possible deliverables, drawn from the research. All run on a copy of the project, with read access to the official data, and all go to review by whoever is accountable for the cartographic product.

Style library

A symbol catalog in CSV (color in RGB and CMYK, line width in mm, font, scales) becomes QML for QGIS and SLD for the map server, with a list of what didn't match.

Deliverable: versioned styles + QML × SLD preview

Atlas in batch

Exports one PDF per sheet or per municipality with qgis_process, with a trial on three features, a log per sheet and an exit code for the scheduler.

Deliverable: PDFs + CSV report per sheet

Georeferenced PDF

Generates Geospatial PDF with map themes as layers, through QGIS or a GDAL composition XML, and checks the georeferencing of each file with gdalinfo.

Deliverable: layered PDF with the check attached

PDF for the printer

Sets up the project with the ICC profile the print shop provides and CMYK color mode, and exports PDF/X-4, a QGIS feature since 3.40.

Deliverable: PDF/X-4 ready for the color proof

Labeling proof

Counts, per layer and at print scale, the labels that didn't fit (native:extractlabels) and compares the names with the approved reference list.

Deliverable: list of labels and names for decision

Printed scale checked

Adds a check ruler to the layout, checks the PDF page size and prepares the measurement script for the printed proof.

Deliverable: proof script and measurement record
02

Eight arms, one sheet ready to print.

The same Octo cycle, applied to symbology and print. Each arm has a narrow role; the ones who approve the symbology, decide the names, check the proof and sign are people.

  1. Discovery

    Surveys what already exists

    QGIS and GDAL versions, layouts, atlases, map themes, styles embedded in the project, installed fonts and available ICC profile.

  2. Data

    Pins down references

    SIRGAS 2000 and the sheet's zone, class and name fields, the atlas coverage layer and the reference list of names.

  3. Security

    Takes care of access and data

    Vector PDFs store exact coordinates: sensitive locations and personal data are assessed with the client (LGPD). Also the license of the fonts embedded in the PDF.

  4. Architecture

    Picks the path

    qgis_process or PyQGIS; QML or SLD; atlas or report; PDF through QGIS or a GDAL composition XML.

  5. Development

    Writes the scripts

    Symbol catalog, .qpt template, scripts with a trial run, log and exit code, and the source of each syntax noted in the file.

  6. Review

    Checks the PDF

    Georeferencing with gdalinfo, pages with pdfinfo, PNG preview and QML × SLD comparison. Not by the absence of errors.

  7. Release

    Delivers to staging

    Only with your OK, it puts PDFs and styles in a staging folder. Sending to the printer and publishing to the production server are done by people.

  8. Documentation

    Records what applies to your project

    Versions, export parameters, ICC profile used, approved catalog and the result of each batch. The proof for one print run doesn't apply to another.

Octo works with read access and as support. It does not change the official data, does not send to the printer, does not publish to production and does not sign cartographic products: that belongs to qualified people.

03

Each task, its own path.

The criteria Octo uses to choose, always with the documentation for the installed QGIS and GDAL versions.

TaskPathNote
Apply a style to many layersnative:setlayerstyle or loadNamedStyleVersioned QML
Classify by class codenative:categorizeusingstyleList of what didn't match
Take the style to the map serversaveSldStyle / exportSldStyleV3Compare the rendering side by side
Export a layoutnative:printlayouttopdfQT_QPA_PLATFORM=offscreen with no display
Atlas in batchnative:atlaslayouttomultiplepdfCOVERAGE_LAYER overrides the layout's
Georeferenced PDFGEOREFERENCE=true or writeGeoPdfCheck with gdalinfo
PDF from XMLGDAL, COMPOSITION_FILE optionValidate against pdfcomposition.xsd
PDF for the printerProject with a color space + PDF/X-4QGIS 3.40+; ICC requires Qt 6.8+
Count labels that didn't fitnative:extractlabels with INCLUDE_UNPLACEDAt print scale
Booklet with cover and sectionsQGIS reportExports PDF, SVG or image
04

From a single sheet to series production.

Three steps. Each one only makes sense after the previous one has shown results with your mapping team.

A proposal, not a promise

1 Today

On-demand export

You point to a layout or atlas you export by hand today and Octo proposes the command, with a trial on a few sheets you already know.

  • Atlas through qgis_process with a report
  • Georeferencing check on each PDF
  • Inventory of the styles embedded in the project
Benefit: less manual exporting, same parameters every time
2 Next

In-house styles and templates

The symbology moves out of the projects into a reviewed catalog, with QML and SLD generated from it and versioned layout templates.

  • Symbol catalog with RGB and CMYK
  • QML × SLD comparison on every change
  • .qpt templates per product type
Benefit: the same symbol on screen, on paper and on the server
3 Later

Series production with proofs

Sheet batches with a labeling proof, PDF/X-4 with the print shop's profile and a measurement script, all recorded per print run.

  • Unplaced labels counted by scale
  • Names compared with the reference list
  • Log of ICC profile, proof and measurement
Benefit: the print shop gets the right file the first time
05

Confirmed by sources.

Every point below has a source published by the responsible body (Planalto, IBGE, the Brazilian Army, CONCAR), by the project or by the standards organization. The sources are in the next section.

4

points with a published source, each with its reference alongside.

ConfirmedExport without the interface
QGIS 3.44 Processing has algorithms to export layouts and atlases to PDF and image, with DPI, GEOREFERENCE, TEXT_FORMAT and IMAGE_COMPRESSION; COVERAGE_LAYER overrides the layout's atlas coverage.Source: Cartography algorithms (docs.qgis.org, 3.44)
ConfirmedPDF/X-4 and CMYK since 3.40
QGIS generates valid PDF/X-4 if the project's color space is set; the project ICC profile only appears in builds with Qt 6.8.0 or newer.Source: QGIS 3.40 changelog (changelog.qgis.org)
ConfirmedGeoreferencing in GDAL's PDF
The PDF driver writes ISO 32000 georeferencing by default; the OGC best practice encoding was removed from writing in GDAL 3.11. Writing needs no extra library; reading requires Poppler, PoDoFo or PDFium.Source: PDF driver (gdal.org, stable)
ConfirmedExact coordinates in vector PDFs
The QGIS manual warns that vector output stores the exact coordinates of points in the file, which can expose sensitive locations.Source: Creating an Output (docs.qgis.org, 3.44)
06

What Octo does and what stays with you.

Octo prepares everything, but does not sign. The document of record stays with whoever is accountable for it.

Octo prepares

Surveys, calculates, organizes and produces the documents: spreadsheets, reports, sheets, maps and drafts.

Deliverable: material ready to check

Your team checks

The licensed professional checks what Octo delivered before signing. If something doesn't add up, it goes back to Octo with the correction.

Step: review by the signer

Who signs

Octo does not sign. Designs, technical reports, ART/RRT (Brazil's professional responsibility records), accountability reports and any official document are still signed by the company's or agency's licensed professional: here, the cartographic engineer or another licensed professional, with an ART; official data goes into the INDE only after approval by the competent authority.

Sign-off: licensed professional, with ART
07

Sources.

QGIS, GDAL, OGC and public agency documentation used in the research, accessed on October 31, 2026.

Your sheets coming out in series, with a proof and an owner.

The assessment starts with a layout or atlas your team already exports by hand, on a copy of the project. You get a proposal for what can be automated, with a trial on known sheets, and decide with it in hand.

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