TikZ set node label position more precisely

Question

This seems like it should be really easy but I can't seem to find it anywhere...

I'd like to be able to fine-tune the positioning of a node label.

I'm aware of the \node[label=above/below/etc:{label}] (x) {}; syntax, but that doesn't seem to give you many options on where the label goes. I'd like to be able to place the label slightly closer or farther away, or maybe in a direction other than the 8 presets available.

\tikz[label distance=x] isn't a good solution because I need it to be node-specific.

Answer 1

You can define the direction of the label by using label=<angle>:<label text>. To specify the distance on a per node distance, you have to supply it to the label options: label={[label distance=<distance>]<angle>:<label text>}

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[
    every node/.style=draw,
    every label/.style=draw
]
\node [label={[label distance=1cm]30:label}] {Node};
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Answer 2

Good to know all the other ways to do this, but I have always used xshift=<length>, and yshift=<length> to move a node or label.

The blue is the default, and the red is with the option [xshift=1.0cm, yshift=0.3cm], and the green (as suggested by percusse) is using an alternate syntax to specify the x and y shift as a vector [shift={(1.0,0.3)}].

Code:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[blue]
    \node [label={Label}] {Node};
\end{tikzpicture}
\begin{tikzpicture}[red]
    \node [label={[xshift=1.0cm, yshift=0.3cm]Label}] {Node};
\end{tikzpicture}
\begin{tikzpicture}[green]
    \node [label={[shift={(1.0,0.3)}]Label}] {Node};
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Answer 3

The simplest way is to use another node. Like you wrote, the label is a node "label". In \path ... node[⟨options⟩](⟨name⟩)at(⟨coordinate⟩){⟨text⟩} ...;the real label is ⟨text⟩. Now it's easy to add a node and a new label without the label option.

  \documentclass{scrartcl}
  \usepackage{tikz}
  \begin{document} 

   \begin{tikzpicture}
     \node [draw,circle ] (a) { Real label}; 
     \node  at (a.60) {$\bullet$}; 
     \node [draw] at ([shift={(95:1)}]a.60) {Second label};

   \end{tikzpicture}

   \end{document}    

The only problem is that you need to give the name first node but you can do what you want. In the first version of TikZ, without the label option it was the only way.

Answer 4

The library "positioning" allows easy positioning of nodes with each other

La librairie "positioning" permet un positionnement facile et rapide des noeuds les uns par rapport aux autres

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[
    every node/.style=draw,
    every label/.style=draw
]
\node (node) {Node};
\foreach \xx/\yy in {1/2,-1/3,5/0,-3/-2,0/0}{
\node [above right = \xx cm and \yy cm of node](label){Label\xx\yy};
}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

[fr] je complète la réponse pour répondre pour préciser le positionnement d'un label et pas seulement d'un noeud

[en] I complete the answer to answer to clarify the positioning of a label and not just a node

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{positioning}

\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[
    every node/.style=draw,
    every label/.style=draw
]
\foreach \xx/\yy in {1/2,-1/3,5/0,-3/-2,0/0}{
\node [label={[above right = \xx cm and \yy cm of node]:label\xx\yy}] (node) {Node};
}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

[fr] on remarque que l'origine du positionnement n'est pas le même que pour les noeuds

[en] we note that the origin of the Positioning is not the same as for nodes

Answer 5

This pattern is also quite useful:

\node at ($(R) + (0.03,0.4)$)    {Your label!};

This way you can position the label relative to the coordinates of R.

Note that you need \usetikzlibrary{calc} for this way.

A similar solution that does not require calc (thanks Paul Gaborit!) is

\path (R) ++(0.03,0.4) node {Your label!};