Customize label text on the LabVIEW front panel or block diagram using fonts, sizes, alignment, colors, and text styles. Set default text settings for new labels, or modify label text programmatically.

LabVIEW defines its built-in fonts as the default system fonts. When you move VIs between platforms, LabVIEW automatically updates its built-in fonts so that they match the default system fonts of the current platform. Additionally, if you attempt to open a VI that uses an unavailable font, LabVIEW substitutes the closest match.

LabVIEW handles colors similarly to fonts. If a color is not available on a computer, LabVIEW replaces it with the closest match. You also can use system colors to adapt the appearance of a front panel to the system colors of any computer that runs the VI.

To change the font, size, and color of text in labels, complete the following steps.

  1. Select the items to change.
    • Select the specific objects for which you want to change the font, size, or color of the text.
    • To set the font characteristics for all front panel or block diagram objects, deselect any objects that you have selected.
  2. Select Font Dialog... from the Text Settings pull-down menu on the toolbar to display the Default Font dialog box.

    Default Font includes the same options as the Font Style dialog box.

    Note Changing the default font does not change the font of existing labels. It affects only those labels you create from that point on.
  3. Select a font in the Font pull-down menu.

    LabVIEW displays all fonts currently installed on the computer.

  4. Select a size in either of the following ways:
    • Click the arrow button and choose a size from the pull-down menu.
    • Enter the size in the Size text box.
  5. Select an alignment option in the Align pull-down menu.
  6. Click the Color box and select a color for the text from the color picker that appears.
    Tip (Windows and Linux) To make labels transparent, use the Coloring tool and right-click the T in the color picker. (macOS) To make labels transparent, use the Coloring tool and Control+click the T in the color picker.
  7. Select how you want the text to appear by placing or removing checkmarks from the Plain, Bold, Italic, Underline, Strikeout, (macOS) Outline, and (macOS) Shadow checkboxes.

    The front panel text with modifications appears in the text box showing how it will appear.

  8. To use the new text settings as the default font for new front panel or block diagram labels, respectively, place a checkmark in the Panel default or Diagram default checkboxes.
  9. Save or cancel the settings:
    • Save the text settings: Click OK.
    • Cancel the settings: Click Cancel to exit the Default Font dialog box without saving the changes.

You also can use the following properties to modify label text programmatically:

  • Set the font: Font property
  • Get and set the justification of text: Justification property
  • Change the foreground and background color of a text string: Text Colors property