How Can I Create Labels That Span Multiple Lines? (Multi-line Labels)

Formulas can be used to make labels with multiple lines like in the following example:

There are a few things to remember when creating multiple line labels:

Any text strings should be contained in quotes. In the example above, the words “Tot. Pop.: ” are in quotes.

All numeric values should be converted to text when mixing text and numeric values in a label. For example, the field Population is an integer (you can see this by going to Dataview-Modify Table, or by noting the values are left justified in the dataview), so it must be converted to a text string to be included in a label. The following formulas convert numeric values to text:

i2s(Fieldname) converts integer values to strings
r2s(Fieldname) converts real numbers to strings

Strings can be concatenated with the + sign
Carriage returns can be inserted by typing “|”

It is always best to select field names from the Fields List drop-down menu in the formula builder than to type them in (because field names are case-sensitive)

To create the label above, you would:

  1. Change the working layer to the features you want to label.
  2. Click on the Automatic Labels button.
  3. In the Automatic Labels dialog box, select Formula for the Field.
  4. In the Formula dialog box, enter the following formula:
    “Tot. Pop.: ” + i2s(Population) + “|” + “Black: ” + i2s(Black)

Type “Multi-line Label” for the Name and click OK to go on.
After you have finished selecting your label settings, Click OK to display the labels.

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