Clip data frame to graphics (legend, title block, tables etc.) so labels aren't hidden

[HuwGreenhough]

Labels get hidden behind graphics on data frames.

At the moment we either have to reserve a whole strip of the printable area for title block, legend etc, or use various kludges: shuffle title block, legend etc around until they're not hiding any important labels, or convert certain labels to annotation & move them, or finally create a feature by eye, with no snapping, & to clip the data frame. All far from ideal.

There needs to be a way of clipping the data frame to graphics, including auto-generated ones like legends - so the clipping would need to adjust itself if the legend changed shape or size etc. This way the labelling engine would only place labels where thay can be seen.

[Anonymous User]

Wow, this post is 10 years old.  I'm not sure I should start a new one but I'll start here by adding to this idea.   I'm working in ArcGIS Pro which now has graphic elements in the map frame.    For labeling purposes, one can set a weight to these graphic elements.  I'm not sure if this would also apply to title block, legends, etc.

I would, however, like to set a label weight on a graphic element created in a layout as well as title blocks, legends, scale bars, north arrows etc..  The purpose is not having labels sometimes appear clipped by these elements or appear underneath them if you are using a transparency.  In ArcMap, I had created a polygon feature class that would cover the text boxes set with no symbology and set the weight to 1000 so no labels would try to appear there.

In Pro, we now have graphic elements in the map that can be assigned a label weight.  But I'm working in a map series and would like the labels not to appear.  For example in the screenshot below in layout mode of a map series, the title box is transparent which provides information on the continuity of the image but I would prefer label of 020206 is not shown.  I can just remove the transparency but curious if there is another way.   I have close to 900 of these maps in the map series as geopdfs and they are used in mobile devices to navigate.

If it was a single map, the graphic element in the map frame would work but I don't think that will work in a map series with the changing map extents.  Providing label weights on these graphic elements would be a great solution.