Labels allow you to bring attribute information onto your map as text on top of your spatial objects. This is a compelling way to add context to your map by adding place or road names and more insights about your data by showing specific values from your attribute data at the object's location.
MapInfo Pro comes with many settings that can help you create good-looking labels automatically.
In a previous article, I went over a few tips on how to use the Style tab to improve your map. In this article, I will show you seven tips on how to improve your labels using the Labels tab. The idea of having these label settings on the ribbon is to make them more discoverable for the users.
As an example, I have a map of a few populated areas in my neighborhood.
First, you must turn on Automatic Labels via the icon option in the Layer List. Next, you can start modifying the label properties via the Labels tab - or if you insist via the Label tabs in the Layer Properties dialog.
With this intro, I wish you all a wonderful #MapInfoMonday!
1. Selecting the Label Expression
By default, MapInfo Pro will pick the first character column for your automatic labels. So, if you have the option, make sure the first character column in your table, is the column you mostly will use for your labels.
Otherwise, you can quickly switch to a different column using the Label using list on the Labels tab.
2. Setting the Text Font and Size
Via the Labels tab, you can also quickly change the font for your labels.
You can pick a different text font and change the size of your labels with a few clicks and these changes will immediately show on the map allowing you to see how your changes affect the look of the map. The map will update as you scroll down the list of the different fonts and hover over them.
The additional font options are also available with a single click of your mouse.
3. Halo versus Highlight
In many situations, you may want to make your labels stand out against the base map. MapInfo Pro has two options for doing this. Halo and Highlight.
The halo option adds a border around the individual text letters whereas the highlight option creates a full-colored square behind the entire text. In the image below, you can see the difference between these two options.
I have created the halo and highlight using a white color. You can pick a different color as the background depending on the color of the text itself.
4. Overlap options
If your spatial objects are close to each other, their labels may overlap.
MapInfo Pro has a few options that can control label overlaps. You can disregard the label that would overlap an already existing label, you can allow the overlap, and you can tell MapInfo Pro to try a different position for the label.
You pick these from the Label Overlap list on the Labels tab.
If you experience label overlaps, try switching to Try Other Positions as a start.
5. Prefixed Label Rules
MapInfo Pro has several label rules that can help you control the appearance of your labels. You can access these on the Label Rules tab in the Layer Properties dialog.
On the Labels tab on the ribbon, we have combined these label rules in several ways so that you quickly can apply a set of rules to your labels.
From the Label Rules dropdown, hold your mouse on one of the label rules and see how this would affect your labels. If you are happy with what you see, click on the rule to apply the settings to your layer.
The type of rules available depends on the most common object type in the layer.
I picked the Auto Position with Callout allowing MapInfo Pro to position the labels outside the polygons with a label line pointing back at the polygon. This works well with polygons spread across an area and not making up a complete coverage.
6. Label Line
As my labels now are drawn outside my polygon referring back to the polygon with a label line, I can also change the appearance of the label line.
From the Label Line dropdown, I can pick one of the three default options or the Line Style option to change the style of the label line myself. In this case, I changed it to a white line which matches nicely with the white highlight around the labels.
7. Label Position
The final option that comes in handy is the Label Position. I can control if the label should appear above, below, or centered on, and if should be positioned to the right, left, or centered on the object.
Below, I have chosen Lower Left.
And here Upper Right.
And here Upper Center.
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Peter Horsbøll Møller
Principal Presales Consultant | Distinguished Engineer
Precisely | Trust in Data
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