A new look for Positron and Dark Matter basemaps
Using Positron or Dark Matter in your own application? CARTO basemaps now require a free API key. Request yours at carto.com/basemaps/apikey. It is free up to 5 million tile requests a month and needs no CARTO account. Then add the key to your tile URL:
https://basemaps.cartocdn.com/rastertiles/light_all/{z}/{x}/{y}.png?key=YOUR_KEY
https://basemaps.cartocdn.com/rastertiles/dark_all/{z}/{x}/{y}.png?key=YOUR_KEYSeeing an "API key required" watermark on your map? That is why. Maps built inside CARTO Builder or Workflows are unaffected. Below is the original redesign announcement.
Today we are excited to share the new and enhanced versions of our signature basemaps Positron and Dark Matter.
Since their initial release in 2014 Positron and Dark Matter have served as the unobtrusive backdrops for millions of amazing CARTO-based visualizations. We are confident that these refreshed designs will continue to serve that purpose while also giving your maps a fresh look.
A more efficient system
After the release of our newest basemap Voyager we spent time unifying our basemap infrastructure to get our internal system more efficient and connected -- all with the goal of streamlining our design and update processes.
What this means is that behind the scenes all of our basemaps share the same structure and the only thing that separates Voyager from Dark Matter or Positron is a set of variables that define their visual style. With this new system in place you can now switch seamlessly between each basemap without significant differences in data fonts and information content.
Cartographic enhancements
Cartographically we took this opportunity to fine tune the color system eliminate extra noise and introduce detail less aggressively than before. We also increased the visibility of some contextual information while pushing other information further to the background to improve overall legibility and visual hierarchy.
These small but significant changes will provide an improved figure-ground relationship between our basemaps and your data overlays.
We hope you enjoy these new designs and we are eager to see the maps you create with them!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an API key to use CARTO Positron or Dark Matter?
Yes. CARTO basemaps now require a free API key when used outside the CARTO platform, for example in Leaflet, MapLibre, deck.gl or a BI tool. Request one at carto.com/basemaps/apikey; it is emailed straight back, there is no approval queue and you do not need a CARTO account. Maps built inside CARTO Builder or Workflows are unaffected.
What are the tile URLs for Positron and Dark Matter?
Raster tiles: https://basemaps.cartocdn.com/rastertiles/light_all/{z}/{x}/{y}.png for Positron and https://basemaps.cartocdn.com/rastertiles/dark_all/{z}/{x}/{y}.png for Dark Matter, with ?key=YOUR_KEY appended. Vector styles: https://basemaps.cartocdn.com/gl/positron-gl-style/style.json and https://basemaps.cartocdn.com/gl/dark-matter-gl-style/style.json. Variants without labels (light_nolabels, dark_nolabels) and with labels only (light_only_labels, dark_only_labels) follow the same pattern.
Why does my map show an 'API key required' watermark?
The tiles are being requested without a key. Request a free key at carto.com/basemaps/apikey, add it to the tile URL as a key parameter, then force-refresh: your browser and the CDN cache tiles, so an old watermarked tile can linger for a moment.
Is the CARTO basemap API key free, and what are the limits?
Yes. A key is free for up to 5 million tile requests per calendar month across the raster and vector services, and CARTO gets in touch before cutting anyone off. The free tier is intended for non-commercial use with CARTO and OpenStreetMap attribution kept visible; commercial projects also get a key and may be asked to move to a commercial agreement past the limit.
