You've completed your field survey using Mergin Maps and synchronised everything back to QGIS. Your team has collected valuable data from multiple locations, and now it's time to turn that raw field data into a professional report that makes sense to stakeholders.
The good news? You can create these reports directly in QGIS using your survey results. This guide shows you how to combine maps, tables, and professional layouts that communicate your findings clearly to any audience.
Why Professional Reports Matter
Field surveys generate valuable insights, but raw data rarely speaks for itself. Professional reports serve several purposes: they demonstrate project progress to stakeholders, document your methodology for compliance, and provide lasting documentation for future reference.
Let's be honest, creating these reports isn't always straightforward. QGIS Print Layout has a learning curve, and getting everything to look just right takes practice. But once you master the basics, you'll save hours compared to exporting data and recreating maps in other software.
Setting Up Your Post-Survey Workflow
Step 1: Prepare Your Synchronised Data
After your field team completes data collection in Mergin Maps, ensure all changes are synchronised back to QGIS. Open your project and verify that collected features appear correctly with complete attribute information, including any photos taken in the field. Check for any sync conflicts or missing data before proceeding.
This is crucial: nothing's more frustrating than discovering incomplete data or missing photos halfway through report creation.
Step 2: Organise and Style Your Data Layers
Start by creating logical layer groups for your report, organising related datasets together. Rename layers with descriptive, professional names that will appear in your legend.
Next, apply consistent, professional symbology that clearly communicates your data story. Use colours that reproduce well in print and ensure sufficient contrast for accessibility. Consider your final report audience when choosing symbols and colours.
The QGIS community has developed excellent style libraries that you can leverage. Check out QGIS Style Hub for professionally designed symbols that work well in reports.
Creating Your First Print Layout
Step 3: Launch the Print Layout Interface
Navigate to Project → New Print Layout and provide a descriptive name like "Environmental Survey Report - December 2024". This opens the Print Layout interface, presenting a blank canvas that represents your final report page. The interface might seem overwhelming at first, but it's quite intuitive once you start using it.
Step 4: Configure Page Settings
In the Layout panel, right-click and select Page Properties to set your page size to A4 (or your preferred format). Choose Portrait or Landscape orientation based on your content needs. Don't worry if you get it wrong initially, you can change this later without losing any of your work.
Alternatively, if you want a head start with professional formatting, we've got free Mergin Maps report templates available to help you get started quickly. Simply download the .qpt template files from our Google Drive and import them into QGIS by going to Project > Layout Manager > New from Template, select 'Specific' from the dropdown, choose your downloaded .qpt file, then hit Create.
Step 5: Add Your Primary Map
Start by clicking the "Add Map" tool from the toolbar, then draw a rectangle on your canvas where you want the main map to appear. This brings your current QGIS map view straight into the layout. Next, use the Item Properties panel to adjust the map scale, extent, and rotation to highlight your survey area effectively.
Building Professional Layout Elements
Step 6: Add Essential Map Elements and Information
Start by adding your legend using "Add Legend" from the toolbar and position it strategically on your layout. In the Item Properties panel, customise the legend by removing unnecessary layers, adjusting text sizes, and adding descriptive group names.
Next, include a scale bar using "Add Scale Bar" near the bottom of your map and a north arrow using "Add North Arrow" for orientation. Use "Add Label" to create text elements for your report title, project description, date, and team credits. Create a clear hierarchy with large titles, subtitles, and body text.
Position elements to create a clean, organised layout that guides the reader's eye naturally. Keep everything simple and focused on essential information. White space is your friend, so avoid cramming everything together.
Step 7: Incorporate Field Photos
If your survey included a photo collection, adding these images brings your report to life. Use "Add Picture" and in the toolbar, go to "Item Properties" and select "Raster image" as the source type. You can then use data-defined overrides to dynamically link to photo paths stored in your attribute data.
For Atlas generated reports, which we'll cover shortly, use an expression like concat(@project_folder, '/', "photo_field") to automatically display the correct photo for each feature. This creates an effective visual connection between your map data and field observations.
Incorporating Data Tables and Analysis
Step 8: Add Attribute Tables
The "Add Attribute Table" tool allows you to display selected attribute data directly in your layout. This works particularly well for showing survey results, measurement summaries or condition assessments.
Configure the table to show only relevant columns and apply professional formatting with alternating row colours and clear headers. When using Atlas, filter the table to show only the current feature's attributes.
Step 9: Include Summary Statistics
Create text labels that display dynamic statistics from your data using QGIS expressions. For example, you can show total features collected, average values, or completion percentages that update automatically if your data changes.
You now have a complete report ready to export as PDF. If you need individual reports for multiple features or locations, continue with the Atlas guide below to automate this process.
Automated Reports with QGIS Atlas
Step 10: Enable Atlas Generation
Atlas is QGIS's secret weapon for creating multiple reports from a single template. In the Print Layout window, you'll find the Atlas toolbar at the top of the window. Navigate to "Atlas Settings", enable "Generate an Atlas", and select your survey layer as the coverage layer. This determines which features will each get their own report page.
Set up sorting options if you want reports in a specific order, perhaps by date collected or location ID. This automation works well for large surveys where manual report creation would be time-consuming.
Step 11: Configure Atlas Maps and Dynamic Content
In your map item's properties, enable "Controlled by Atlas" and set an appropriate scale and margin for your features. This ensures each report page automatically centres on the relevant survey point whilst showing sufficient surrounding context.
Add a second overview map showing the feature's location within the broader survey area, using the Atlas geometry functions to highlight the current feature whilst showing other survey points for reference.
Transform your static text labels into dynamic Atlas elements using QGIS expressions. To get field values from the current feature, use the field name in quotes like "field_name". This allows you to display feature-specific information such as survey dates, team member names, or condition assessments that automatically update for each report page.
Export Your Professional Reports
For single layouts, use "Export as PDF" to export the main page. With Atlas enabled, choose Atlas → Export Atlas as PDF to generate all feature reports at once. Choose your export location and file naming convention beforehand, as Atlas can generate many files quickly.
Next Steps for Report Excellence
Your professional survey reports are now complete, whether as a single comprehensive document or individual feature reports. Save your layout as a template using Layout → Save as Template for future projects with similar requirements.
The combination of field photos, dynamic data, and automated Atlas generation creates reports that showcase your field work's value. Stakeholders appreciate the professional presentation, while you maintain full control over the design and content.
Ready to elevate your field survey workflow? Combining Mergin Maps' field data collection with QGIS Print Layout's professional reporting capabilities delivers great results that showcase the value of your GIS expertise.
Have questions about creating professional reports from your Mergin Maps data? Join our community chat or check out our comprehensive documentation for additional tips and advanced techniques. The QGIS community is always happy to help fellow professionals improve their workflow.