HOW TO

Change label fonts in ArcMap legends

Last Published: August 26, 2021

Summary

The steps provided describe how to adjust the size and style of label fonts for each layer in an ArcMap legend.

Procedure

Note:
This article applies to retired ArcGIS versions 8.x. Later versions of ArcGIS may contain different functionality, as well as different names and locations for menus, commands and geoprocessing tools.
  1. Right-click the legend and select Properties.
  2. Switch to the Items tab.
  3. Select a layer from the Legend Items list.
  4. Click the Style button.
  5. Select a style. The third style, Horizontal Single Symbol Label Only, works for most cases.
  6. Click the Properties button.
  7. Click the Label Symbol button on the General tab.
  8. Specify the desired font type and size, and click OK.
  9. Click Apply and OK in the Legend Item dialog box.
  10. Select the style originally selected in step 5 again to make sure ArcMap knows which style you want.
  11. Click OK on the Legend Item Selector dialog box.
  12. Repeat steps 3-11 for each layer you would like to adjust the font setting for.
  13. Click Apply and OK on the Legend Properties dialog box.

Article ID:000004596

Software:
  • ArcMap 8 x

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