# PyGMT: How to change Meca label sizes?

**URL:** <https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pygmt-how-to-change-meca-label-sizes/2023>\
**Category:** PyGMT Q&A\
**Created:** [August 24, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pygmt-how-to-change-meca-label-sizes/2023 "2021-08-24T19:44:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hazardgoat](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/hazardgoat/32/1354_2.png) [@hazardgoat](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/hazardgoat)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pygmt-how-to-change-meca-label-sizes/2023/1 "2021-08-24T19:44:54Z")

</div>

When plotting focal mechanisms with `fig.meca`, labels can be added above each beach-ball by including a label in the last column of the focal mechanism file that is being fed into the `spec` parameter. How do I change the _size_ of the label text?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![maxrjones](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/maxrjones/32/2698_2.png) [@maxrjones](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/maxrjones)\
**Post date:** [August 25, 2021, 4:07pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/pygmt-how-to-change-meca-label-sizes/2023/2 "2021-08-25T16:07:34Z")

</div>

Currently, there is not a good way to my knowledge. Here is a workaround (warning: no guarantees that this will work in future releases, as it is not an intended use of the scale parameter):

```auto
fig.meca(spec="meca.dat", convention="aki", scale="1c+f36p,Helvetica,black")

```

I have opened a GitHub issue [https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/1466](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/1466) to add support for customizing the label appearance.