Add and style text labels

How-to 1

Choose the right kind of label

Use Text for content you write yourself: availability, a property note, a street annotation, an access description, or a short headline. Business names added from Search are business overlays, even when they display only text. This distinction matters when applying styles or reusing locations.

Decide what the reader should notice first. Use a stronger treatment for the subject or availability and a quieter treatment for secondary notes. Keep long descriptions out of the map when a few words will communicate the same fact.

How-to 2

Create a label and choose a preset

1. 1

   Enter the content

   Open Text and click Label text. Type the final wording, including units and punctuation. For an availability callout, enter AVAILABLE 2,400 SF. The preview shows the text as you edit it.

2. 2

   Compare the presets

   Choose Modern, Pro, Classic, Callout, Subtle, or Plain. Preview a few options before customizing. Pro here is a preset name. Choose the appearance for the role of the label, then verify it against the base map.

3. 3

   Apply a preset before fine adjustments

   A preset changes several style values together. Select it before tuning font, colors, or padding; choosing another preset afterward can replace those adjustments. Keep the preview visible while deciding.

4. 4

   Place the label

   Click Add Text. The panel closes and the new overlay appears on the map. Drag it into the intended display position. Adding a label does not mean the map has finished saving; check the save status after arranging it.

How-to 3

Customize the font and emphasis

1. 1

   Open the extra controls

   Expand Customize style in the Text panel or the Edit Text dialog. The Text section contains the font picker, size, formatting buttons, and color controls.

2. 2

   Set the typeface and size

   Choose a font from the picker and a size from the available presets. Start with a readable, familiar font. Check the full label for wrapping or unwanted height instead of judging a single word in isolation.

3. 3

   Apply emphasis deliberately

   Use Bold, Italic, or Underline in the text editing controls. For selected wording, keep the intended text selected when applying formatting. Recheck the preview afterward so the emphasis applies to the content you intended.

4. 4

   Choose the text color

   Select a color swatch or a custom color. Pick a color with enough contrast against the container. A brand color that works on a white page may be hard to read directly over satellite imagery.

How-to 4

Set fill, border, and padding

1. 1

   Start with a container style

   In Container, use a Quick Style as a starting point or set the individual values. A simple backing can separate a callout from busy imagery. Use None when you want the text without a visible box.

2. 2

   Adjust Fill and opacity

   Fill is the color behind the text. Its opacity controls how much map detail shows through. Increase it when streets or buildings make the wording hard to read; decrease it when a solid block hides too much context.

3. 3

   Make the border intentional

   Choose a border color, set a nonzero Border Width, and ensure border opacity is visible. A selected color alone cannot show a border with zero width or zero opacity.

4. 4

   Set padding

   Padding creates space between the lettering and the container edge. Increase it if the label looks cramped, but check that the larger box still fits. Compare the result on the map rather than relying only on the panel preview.

How-to 5

Rotate, resize, and edit a placed label

1. 1

   Set the angle

   Use Rotation in the Text controls. Choose a preset angle or enter a value in degrees. Positive and negative values tilt the text in opposite directions. Use the preview to align an annotation with the road or feature it describes.

2. 2

   Resize in 2D

   Use the label resize handle on the map. Resizing changes the presentation of the text box, so inspect both the lettering and padding afterward. If the wording becomes cramped, edit the text rather than shrinking it until it is unreadable.

3. 3

   Edit instead of replacing

   Reveal the label toolbar and click Edit style. Change the content or appearance, then click Save Changes. Use Cancel to close the edit without applying the form changes.

4. 4

   Use the 3D width control where available

   When editing a text overlay in 3D, Text box width gives you a direct width control. The standard 2D add panel does not show every control available in the 3D edit dialog.

How-to 6

Apply a consistent label style across the map

1. 1

   Open Text Styles

   Use the floating toolbar control titled Text Styles. Its count refers to standalone Text labels. If there are none, add a label with Text before using the batch panel.

2. 2

   Choose the shared settings

   Select a preset or set font, size, text color, background, border, and padding. Review the preview. This prepares a style; it does not rewrite the individual label wording.

3. 3

   Apply to the intended set

   Click Apply to All N Labels. Check a short label and a long label afterward, since the same style can fit them differently. Make individual exceptions after applying the shared style.

How-to 7

Worked example: availability and an access note

Create AVAILABLE 2,400 SF with a strong preset and a visible backing. Create a second Text overlay reading ACCESS FROM MAIN STREET with a quieter style. Keep them separate so you can position each near the appropriate feature.

If the note follows a diagonal road, set its Rotation and confirm the words still read naturally. In the export preview, check the label at the size a reader will actually see. Shorten the wording, improve contrast, or move it into open space before increasing the overall output dimensions.