"}],"short_description":"What happens if we increase the size of the map labels at the expense of content?","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Recently I made some changes to the Human Geography Basemaps to make them WCAG friendly. In my blog<\/a><\/strong> at the time I talked about the challenge of increasing label sizes on basemaps such as these. I did what I could without changing content levels at each scale (We are reluctant to make major changes to existing basemaps in case they compromise maps that are already using them).<\/p>\n However it got me thinking about what a \u2018large label\u2019 version would look like, and these are the results:<\/p>\n Human Geography \u2013 Large Label Basemap<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Human Geography Dark – Large Label Basemap<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n They are not intended to replace the existing Human Geography Basemaps. Consider them as an alternative if you think you might need the larger labels.<\/p>\n They are prototypes for now, so details might change, but if you do want to use them I\u2019ll be keeping them available. The only reason I will take them offline is if we replace them with a more official version, and I will try to give plenty of notice of that.<\/p>\n I decided to set a minimum label size of 16px for this exercise (most of our current basemaps use a minimum size around 9px). At very large scales I increased the size to around 20px and to as much as 30px. The most significant difference is at smaller scales. At larger scales many of the labels were larger already.<\/p>\n To accommodate the larger size, I introduced the labels at least one scale later than on the current map, and often two or more. This means that at any specific scale you will see fewer labels. Here are some before\/after comparisons. The current map is on the left, and the \u2018large label\u2019 version on the right:<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2938376,"id":2938376,"title":"Europe_Africa","filename":"Europe_Africa.png","filesize":587681,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Europe_Africa.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/a-large-label-version-of-the-human-geography-basemaps\/europe_africa","alt":"Side by side comparison of the current Human Geography Basemaps with the large scale version. This shows Europe at small scale","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"Zoom Level 3","name":"europe_africa","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2938375,"date":"2025-09-03 20:28:21","modified":"2025-09-03 20:36:00","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1500,"height":812,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Europe_Africa-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Europe_Africa.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":251,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Europe_Africa.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":416,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Europe_Africa.png","large-width":1500,"large-height":812,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Europe_Africa.png","1536x1536-width":1500,"1536x1536-height":812,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Europe_Africa.png","2048x2048-width":1500,"2048x2048-height":812,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Europe_Africa-826x447.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":447,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Europe_Africa.png","wide_image-width":1500,"wide_image-height":812}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Europe_Africa.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2938378,"id":2938378,"title":"Madrid_region","filename":"Madrid_region.png","filesize":366145,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_region.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/a-large-label-version-of-the-human-geography-basemaps\/madrid_region","alt":"Side by side comparison of the current Human Geography Basemaps with the large scale version. This shows Madrid, Spain at regional scale","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"Zoom Level 10","name":"madrid_region","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2938375,"date":"2025-09-03 20:30:25","modified":"2025-09-03 20:37:43","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1500,"height":499,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_region-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_region.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":154,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_region.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":255,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_region.png","large-width":1500,"large-height":499,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_region.png","1536x1536-width":1500,"1536x1536-height":499,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_region.png","2048x2048-width":1500,"2048x2048-height":499,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_region-826x275.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":275,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_region.png","wide_image-width":1500,"wide_image-height":499}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_region.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2938379,"id":2938379,"title":"Madrid_center","filename":"Madrid_center.png","filesize":626749,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_center.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-living-atlas\/mapping\/a-large-label-version-of-the-human-geography-basemaps\/madrid_center","alt":"Side by side comparison of the current Human Geography Basemaps with the large scale version. This shows the center of Madrid, Spain","author":"4491","description":"","caption":"Zoom Level 15","name":"madrid_center","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2938375,"date":"2025-09-03 20:31:34","modified":"2025-09-03 20:38:31","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1500,"height":499,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_center-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_center.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":154,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_center.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":255,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_center.png","large-width":1500,"large-height":499,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_center.png","1536x1536-width":1500,"1536x1536-height":499,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_center.png","2048x2048-width":1500,"2048x2048-height":499,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_center-826x275.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":275,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_center.png","wide_image-width":1500,"wide_image-height":499}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Madrid_center.png"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" If you find a label is missing, zoom in a few times and you should find it available again.<\/p>\n Most of the changes, not surprisingly, are to the \u2018Label\u2019 layers. These can also be used with other \u2018label free\u2019 basemaps (See here<\/a><\/strong> for more information on how to prepare for that).<\/p>\n Human Geography – Large Label Reference<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Human Geography Dark – Large Label Reference<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n However, \u2018Large Scale\u2019 versions of the Detail layer are also available. The only changes here are to Road Shields, which are included as part of this layer because it makes sense to keep them with their associated roads and highways. They are available in the Label layer as well though, but invisible (I keep them there to deflect other labels away from the shields in the Detail layer). If you want these instead use the transparency sliders in the Vector Tile Style Editor<\/a><\/strong> (VTSE) to make them visible. The layer can be opened directly into the VTSE from the Details page.<\/p>\nThe Changes<\/h2>\n
Vector Tile Layers<\/h2>\n