Creating annotation features

When creating a map, your goal is to effectively communicate information to the map's intended audience. Adding descriptive text to the map can help you achieve this goal.

You can add feature labels using ArcMap's dynamic labeling tool, but creating annotation gives you greater flexibility. Unlike dynamic feature labels, you can reposition annotation as needed. With annotation, the text string, position, and display properties are all stored together and can be individually edited.

Annotation can be stored two different ways: you can store it as graphic elements in a map document, or you can store it as features in a geodatabase annotation feature class. Annotation stored in a feature class can be used over and over again in any map document.

Labeling: a quick review

Labels are text associated with features in a layer. The label text is derived from an attribute in the layer attribute table. When you zoom and pan around a map, labels are displayed based on the best placement for the scale at which you are viewing the map. Because labeling properties are a property of the layer, they will travel with the layer whether it is stored in a map document or as a layer file.

Dynamically labeling features is the process of displaying labels for a layer's features all at once. When you turn on dynamic labeling, ArcMap automatically adds a label for each feature to the map display, assuming there is room in the current map extent. You cannot reposition labels yourself; the software determines label placement, based on some specifications you may provide.

Geodatabase Annotation Functionality
ArcView	Create and edit standard annotation. View feature-linked and dimension annotation.
ArcEditor/ArcInfo	Create and edit standard, feature-linked, and dimension annotation. Ability to create multiple annotation classes for an annotation feature class.