- Enable the Maplex Label Engine.
- Click the Label Manager button on the Labeling toolbar.
- Check the check box next to the layer you want to label.
- Choose a label class under the layer.
- Click the Properties button.
- Check the Spread characters check box.
- Click Limit.
- Type a Maximum character spacing value.
- Click OK to close all dialog boxes.
If the Spread characters check box is unavailable, you will need to check Street Placement. The Spread characters option is only available for label classes that are placed with Street Placement.