Adding labels to a map

Add labels to features with the Labels tab of the Layer Properties dialog box.

You can choose where to place labels in relation to the feature with the Placement option.

How to add labels:

  1. Click a layer in the legend to make it active.

  2. Click the Layer Properties button.

  3. Click the Labels tab.

  4. Click a field for labels.

  5. Click a Font.

  6. Click a Size.

  7. Check the Bold or Italic boxes to change the text.

  8. Click the Effects button for more options on changing the appearance of labels.

  9. Click a Color.

  10. Click a label Placement.

  11. Click an angle of rotation for the labels.

  12. Click OK to close the dialog box and see the changes.

How to add effects to labels:

  1. Check Shadow to add a three-dimensional effect.

  2. Check Glow to add a color around the label.

  3. Check Background to add a colored box under the label.

  4. Check Allow Duplicates to allow all labels to display.

  5. Check Use highest text quality to apply antialiasing.

  6. Click OK.

Tips:

The check box for using highest text quality is also referred to as antialiasing. When lines are drawn at an angle, they may appear jagged due to the number of pixels available to display them. Antialiasing allows the line to be smooth by coloring adjacent pixels in such a way as to give the edge of the line a more gradual fade to the background color.

You can also clear labels by right-clicking on a layer in the legend, clicking Clear, and pointing to Clear Labels.

If you want your labels in bold, use one of the following fonts for best text quality: Dialog, Default, Serif, and Sans Serif.