Set map extents or limits in Surfer

There are various ways to limit the map extents/limits in Surfer. See instructions for each options below: 

• Edit the limits for the map
• Draw a rectangle around the desired area
• Print or export the zoomed area on the screen
• Expand the map limits automatically when adding a new layer with larger limits to an existing map

Edit the limits for the Map

If you know the specific x and y coordinates you want to use to limit your map:

1. Select the Map in the Contents window.
2. Click on the Limits tab in the Properties window.
3. Enter the desired xMin, xMax, yMin, and yMax limits.

View of the Limits tab in the Property Manager, where specific XY extents can be specified.

Draw a rectangle around the desired area

If you know visually where you want to limit your map:

1. Select your map. 
2. Click Map Tools | Map Tools | Set Limits.
3. A selection box appears around the entire map. Click and drag the yellow handles to resize the selection to the desired portion of the map.

4. Press ENTER on your keyboard to update the map limits to the selection limits.
5. If desired, select the Map in the Contents window, click on the Scale tab in the Properties window, and update the Length in the X Scale and/or Y Scale directions to resize the map.

Print or export the zoomed-in area

If you want to print or export a subset of your map and you are zoomed into that subset, follow the instructions in this article: Print a subset of a map in Surfer.

Expand map limits when adding a new layer with larger limits

If you add a map layer to an existing map and the layer has larger limits than the map currently does, you will see a Surfer Warning dialog like this:

Click Yes to expand the map limits to include the entire new layer. Click No to keep the map limits unchanged.

Updated November 2, 2021