Text and mLeaders
Annotation that doesn't match the drawing scale is a visible error. Avoid it.
Why this matters
Text and callouts are the translation layer between graphic and verbal communication in a drawing. A site plan without annotation is a graphic exercise. A correctly annotated site plan is a professional document that a contractor, client, or review board can read without interpretation. The mechanics — style, size, annotative scaling — exist in service of that legibility, not the other way around.
Text styles
Select a text, mleader, or dimension style (ST command or in the Annotate ribbon) before you draw any text. A text style defines the font, width factor, and annotative behavior for a class of text. Never use the default STANDARD style in a production drawing — it produces generic, uncontrolled output.
Text types
| Type | Command | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| MTEXT | MT | Paragraph text, notes, legends, longer descriptions. Supports paragraph formatting, columns, and imported text. |
| TEXT / DTEXT | DT | Single-line text — callout labels, dimension text, simple labels. Faster for individual items that don't need paragraph formatting. |
mLeaders
mLeaders (MLD) are the professional standard for all callout annotations. They combine a leader line, arrowhead, and annotation block in one annotative object — and their scale behavior is controlled by the mLeader style, not by manual sizing.
Set up an mLeader style (MLEADERSTYLE command or the Multileader Style Manager) before using mLeaders. Define arrowhead type, leader line type, content type (MTEXT or block), and annotative behavior. A consistent mLeader style across a drawing set is a visible mark of professional organization.
| mLeader option | When to use it |
|---|---|
| MTEXT content | General annotation — plant callouts, site element labels, notes |
| Block content | Structured callouts like section tags, detail references, keynotes with consistent visual format |
| MLEADERALIGN | Align multiple mLeader tails to a common vertical or horizontal line — professional drawings have organized callouts, not scattered ones |
| MLEADERCOLLECT | Combine multiple mLeaders with a shared callout block into a single organized group |
Layer assignments for text
All annotation goes on annotation layers, not on the layer of the element being labeled. Plant callout text goes on L - Annotation - Plants. General labels go on L - Annotation. Dimension strings go on L - Annotation - Dimensions. Contour labels go on L - Topo - Text. This allows annotation and drawing geometry to be controlled independently — a standard professional requirement for drawing sets that include sheet overlays.
Try this
Create a text style set to Annotative with a plotted height of 1/8". Set your current annotation scale to 1"=50'. Place a label. Then set a second viewport at 1"=20' and add that scale to your text object's annotation scale list. Observe the text in both viewports. Then try the same test with non-annotative text sized manually at a calculated model-space height. Note the difference in setup effort and the result when the second viewport has a different scale.
What breaks
Text on the wrong layer — text placed on the same layer as its target element cannot be controlled independently. When you turn off L - Walk to simplify the view, all walk labels disappear with the geometry. Keep annotation on annotation layers.
Using the STANDARD text style — it has no defined font in a portable way and will substitute fonts on machines with different font libraries, producing text reflow or substitution errors that are invisible on your machine and visible on everyone else's.
Non-annotative mLeaders resized manually — scaling an mLeader manually rather than through annotative scale produces inconsistent callout sizes across the drawing. Set up the style correctly at the start and let annotative scaling manage size automatically.