Formatting tags available in ArcMap

ArcGIS text formatting tags let you modify the formatting for a portion of text. This lets you create mixed-format text where, for example, one word in a sentence is underlined. Text formatting tags can be used almost anywhere text is placed on or around the map in ArcMap. You can use the tags anywhere you can specify both a text string and a text symbol. For example, you can use tags in dynamic label expressions, annotation, legend text, map titles, dynamic text, and in the values of fields used to label features.

The following formatting elements and tags are supported in ArcMap. The table provides syntax examples for Annotation and Labeling. The Annotation syntax applies to all text used in the data frame and in the page layout, and the values of fields used to label features and for annotation. The Labeling syntax applies to dynamic label expressions. In all of the Labeling syntax examples the text formatted can be replaced by a label field.

For additional syntax examples, see Using text formatting tags.

Element description

Start tag

End tag

Valid attributes/values

Note

Example syntax

Example output

Font name and/or font size

<FNT>

</FNT>

name = {TrueType font} size = {1} scale = {1-}

Set either name, size, scale, or all of them.

Annotation

<FNT name = "Arial" size = "12">Text size = 12</FNT> <FNT name = "Arial" scale="200">Text scale = 200</FNT>

Labeling

"<FNT name = 'Arial' size = '12'>" & "Text size = 12" & "</FNT>" & "<FNT name = 'Arial' scale='200'>" & "Text scale = 200" & "</FNT>"

Font example

Color (RGB)

<CLR>

</CLR>

red, green, blue = {0-255}

Missing attributes assumed = 0

Annotation

<CLR red = "255">Text</CLR>

Labeling

"<CLR red = '255'>" & "Text" & "</CLR>"

Color (RGB) example

Color (CMYK)

<CLR>

</CLR>

cyan, magenta, yellow, black = {0-100}

Missing attributes assumed = 0

Annotation

<CLR magenta = "100">Text</CLR>

Labeling

"<CLR magenta = '100'>" & "Text" & "</CLR>"

Color (CMYK) example

Bold

<BOL>

</BOL>

none

Annotation

<BOL>Text</BOL>

Labeling

"<BOL>" & "Text" & "</BOL>"

Bold example

Italic

<ITA>

</ITA>

none

Annotation

<ITA>Text</ITA>

Labeling

"<ITA>" & "Text" & "</ITA>"

Italic example

Underline

<UND>

</UND>

none

Annotation

<UND>Text</UND>

Labeling

"<UND>" & "Text" & "</UND>"

Underline example

All capitals

<ACP>

</ACP>

none

Annotation

<ACP>Text</ACP>

Labeling

"<ACP>" & "Text" & "</ACP>"

All Capitals example

Small capitals

<SCP>

</SCP>

none

Annotation

<SCP>Text</SCP>

Labeling

"<SCP>" & "Text" & "</SCP>"

Small Capitals example

Superscript

<SUP>

</SUP>

none

Annotation

E = mc<SUP>2</SUP>

Labeling

"E = mc" & "<SUP>" & "2" & "</SUP>"

Superscript example

Subscript

<SUB>

</SUB>

none

Annotation

H<SUB>2</SUB>O

Labeling

"H" & "<SUB>" & "2</SUB>" & "O"

Subscript example

Character spacing

<CHR>

</CHR>

spacing = {1-}

Expressed as the percentage adjustment to regular character spacing; 0% means no adjustment.

Annotation

<CHR spacing = "200">Text</CHR>

Labeling

"<CHR spacing = '200'>" & "Text" & "</CHR>"

Character Spacing example

Character width

<CHR>

</CHR>

Expressed as the percentage adjustment to regular character width; 0% means no adjustment.

Annotation

<CHR width="150">Text</CHR>

Labeling

"<CHR width='150'>" & "Text" & "</CHR>"

Character Width example

Word spacing

<WRD>

</WRD>

spacing = {1-}

Expressed as the percentage of spacing between words; 100% means regular spacing.

Annotation

<WRD spacing = "200">Extra Word Spacing</WRD>

Labeling

"<WRD spacing = '200'>" & "Extra Word Spacing" & "</WRD>"

Word Spacing example

Line leading

<LIN>

</LIN>

leading = {1-}

Expressed as the adjustment to regular line spacing (in points); 0 points means no adjustment.

Annotation

<LIN leading = "25">Text with a leading value of 25 points</LIN>

Labeling

"<LIN leading = '25'>" & "Text with a leading value of 25 points" & "</LIN>"

Line leading example

Un-Bold

<_BOL>

</_BOL>

none

Annotation

The base text symbol is bold, <_BOL> but this part is not.</_BOL>

Labeling

"The base text symbol is bold, " & "<_BOL>" & " but this part is not." & "</_BOL>"

Un-Bold example

Un-Italic

<_ITA>

</_ITA>

none

Annotation

The base text symbol is italic, <_ITA> but this part is not.</_ITA>

Labeling

"The base text symbol is italic, " & "<_ITA>" & " but this part is not." & "</_ITA>"

Un-Italic example

Un-Underlined

<_UND>

</_UND>

none

Annotation

The base text symbol is underlined, <_UND> but this part is not.</_UND>

Labeling

"The base text symbol is underlined, " & "<_UND>" & " but this part is not." & "</_UND>"

Un-Underline example

Un-Superscript

<_SUP>

</_SUP>

none

Annotation

<SUP><_SUP> This text is regular, but </_SUP> this text is superscript.</SUP>

Labeling

"<SUP><_SUP>" & "This text is regular, but" & "</_SUP>" & " this text is superscript." & "</SUP>"

Un-Superscript example

Un-Subscript

<_SUB>

</_SUB>

none

Annotation

<SUB><_SUB>This text is regular, but </_SUB> this text is subscript.</SUB>

Labeling

"<SUB><_SUB>" & "This text is regular, but" & "</_SUB>" & " this text is subscript." & "</SUB>"

Un-Subscript example

Formatting tags available in ArcMap

Related Topics

10/24/2012