Positioning and Sizing Labels - MapInfo_Pro - 2023

To label a map object using the Label button:

1. Make sure that the layer containing the objects you want to label is selectable. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Explorer from the list, to open the Explorer window. Click the Selectable icon to set layer selection to On.
2. On the MAP tab, in the Label group, click Label Tool.
3. Click on an object on the map to display a label for that object.

MapInfo Pro labels the object with the values (from the column that you specified for that layer in the Layer Properties dialog box on the Label Display tab).

Changing Label Options

Two features in the Layer Properties dialog box help you with label placement: Label Position and Offset.

To change label options:

1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Explorer from the list, to open the Explorer window.
2. In the list, double-click the layer name to open the Layer Properties dialog box.
3. Select the Label Display tab and specify the desired label options, such as label style.
4. Select the Labeling Rules tab and specify the desired label placement and label adjustments, such as allow or discard overlapping text, try other positions when overlapping occurs, allow duplicate text, and label partial objects.

   Label Position (also called the anchor point) is the label's position relative to the map object. Click on one of the buttons to select an anchor point. You have nine choices.

   The anchor point is an ongoing attribute of the label. For example, if you anchor a point object's label at Center Left and you increase the label's font size, the text will grow to the left. This way, the text can never overwrite the point.

   The default anchor point varies with the type of map object you are labeling:

   • Regions default to Center.
   • Lines default to Below Center.
   • Points default to Right.

   Label Offset is how far away a label is from its anchor point. Specify the number of half spaces you want the label to be from the anchor point in the Label Offset box.

5. Click OK.

The map redraws with your changes.

Label Size

Label size does not change with zoom or scale changes. Labels display at the size you specify at all zoom levels as well as on printed output. Labels are never hidden behind other geographic objects because they are always the last objects drawn on the map.

Setting Different Label Styles for Different Zoom Levels

At different zoom levels information on the map may be difficult to view. Changing (overriding) the label style for specific zoom levels can help.

To create a label override:

1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Explorer from the list, to open the Explorer window.
2. Right-click on a layer in the Maps list and then select Add Label Override.

   This creates a label override for that layer. The first label override defaults to the zoom range of the layer. Adding subsequent label overrides splits the zoom range of the first label override.

3. In the Maps list, double-click the label override name to open the Zoom Ranged Label Override dialog box. Or, right-click on the label override name and select Label Override Properties.
4. Make your selections under the Label Display and Labeling Rules tabs. (The Layer Properties dialog box has the same options that the Zoom Ranged Label Override dialog box has.)

   For a description of the options, see Layer Properties Dialog Box (Label Display Tab) and Layer Properties Dialog Box (Labeling Rules Tab).

   For a description of the options, see Layer Properties Dialog Box (Label Display Tab) and Layer Properties Dialog Box (Labeling Rules Tab). in the Help System

5. Click OK.

For details about these settings, see the next section Changing Override Style Properties already set for Different Zoom Levels.

Understanding the Behavior of Label Style Overrides on Custom Labels

Edited label properties take precedence over override properties. For example, if a custom (edited) label has an anchor position of lower left, and an override comes into effect that changes the position of labels to center, then the custom label remains at lower left.

For polyline data, overrides may change the orientation of labels between horizontal, rotated with the line segment, or curved. Curved labels can be dragged to reposition them along their polyline. However they cannot be dragged away from their polyline like horizontal or rotated labels can be. Therefore, once you drag a horizontal or rotated label, it cannot be changed into a curved label by an override, even if the label was previously curved.