In this article you will learn how to change the Label size of all the layers present in a dataframe.
I discovered this by chance, because suddenly all the labels of the elements of a dataframe of a graphical output had become too small and thus could not be displayed when printing. I noticed that this was not happening in another dataframe in the same document, so I had the choice of replacing the “faulty” dataframe or finding out what was going on. I went with the second option. Comparing how the properties of both dataframes differed, I realized that in the “General” tab the “Reference Scale” item was fixed in one and not in the other.
Then, I noticed that by varying the reference scale it is possible to modify the size of all the labels, so a “problem” became an opportunity. By doing this, you can quickly, in emergency cases, increase or decrease all the texts and meet the text display requirements demanded by your colleagues, bosses or clients.
That said, you should only resort to this method in case of emergency. When you need to display a result instantly. Ideally, you should adjust the text sizes of each layer individually to achieve a professional and aesthetic finish. But if you don't have the time and need immediate results, follow the steps described below:
How to resize all texts used to display layer attributes in a dataframe.
Step 1: Right click on the dataframe that needs a text size adjustment and press the “Properties...” button (a).
Step 2: Go to the “General” tab (a), and in the “Reference Scale” item (b) set a reference scale close to the scale you are using.
Step 3: Press OK and you are done. It only remains for you to adjust the reference scale to your liking, again and again until you consider that the labels are displayed correctly.
Notes:
If you set a larger denominator scale (smaller scale) than the one set in the dataframe then the size of the texts will increase (a); On the contrary if you set a smaller denominator scale (larger scale) than the one set in the dataframe then the size of the texts will decrease (b); the following image illustrates this considering an initial representation scale of 1:6000.
The described procedure does not work with Annotations or text type graphic elements, and in fact I do not recommend that you use neither annotations nor text graphic elements for productivity work, they are too rigid.
The reference scale should be very close to the representation scale, as the symbology could also be affected.
I hope you enjoyed this article, soon I will upload a video explaining the procedure that you can consult in this blog. Save my blog among your favorite links, I will be uploading many more tricks of this style, remember that you can send me your concerns in the contact page or leave your comment, I will be attentive to respond.
