Enabling the Maplex extension and turning on the ESRI Maplex Label Engine

Before you can use the ESRI Maplex Label Engine, you must turn on the Maplex extension and set the Label Engine to ESRI Maplex Label Engine.

Once the ESRI Maplex Label Engine is enabled, you can adjust the Maplex label placement properties for each label class through the Label Manager the same as you would for the ESRI Standard Label Engine.

Learn more about using the Label Manager to display labels

What happens when switching labeling engines?

When you change labeling engines from the ESRI Standard Label Engine to the ESRI Maplex Label Engine, the placement properties are converted into the advanced Maplex placement object model. No placement information is lost, since there is a one-to-one correspondence between the basic placement properties used by both engines. However, if you set some advanced label placement parameters using the ESRI Maplex Label Engine, then switch back to the ESRI Standard Label Engine, the advanced placement properties are lost. You will be warned when you attempt to switch, but any properties you lose in this manner cannot be recovered.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. Click Customize > Extensions.
3. Check Maplex.
4. Click Close.
5. Click Labeling on the Labeling toolbar.
6. Check the Use Maplex Label Engine check box.

Tip:

You can also turn the ESRI Maplex Label Engine on or off for a given data frame from the Data Frame Properties dialog box on the General tab.

Tip:

When you switch from the ESRI Maplex Label Engine to the ESRI Standard Label Engine, you lose any advanced label placement settings you have made. These settings cannot be recovered.