Zooming causes labels to overlap and prevents them from being displayed properly in ArcMap

Description

In ArcMap, after configuring labels for features on the map using the Standard Label Engine, the label is resized per the zoom scale level. For example, when the map is zoomed out, the labels display larger than the features, causing the labels to overlap the features.

Cause

This is expected behavior. Based on the documentation ArcMap: About displaying labels, labels are dynamic and are resized according to the zoom scale level.

Solution or Workaround

Choose one of the methods below to avoid labels from overlapping the features.

Set the scale for the labels

Set a reference scale for the labels to control the size of the labels when zooming the map. Refer to ArcMap: Setting scale ranges for label classes for more information.

Add a label or feature weight

An alternative to prevent overlapping labels is to add a label weight or a feature weight. This weight is applied when there is an overlap between a label and a feature. The example below shows the differences in labels when feature weights are applied for roads. Refer to ArcMap: Weighting labels and features for more information.

Create label annotations at a scale level

Convert labels to annotations to manually adjust the placement of the labels. To do so, add annotations to the features on the map. Refer to ArcMap: Making a map with annotation for more information. Alternatively, to convert existing labels to annotations, refer to ArcMap: Converting labels to annotation for more information.