

.. _sphx_glr_gallery_ticks_and_spines_spine_placement_demo.py:


====================
Spine Placement Demo
====================

Adjusting the location and appearance of axis spines.



.. code-block:: python

    import numpy as np
    import matplotlib.pyplot as plt









.. code-block:: python


    fig = plt.figure()
    x = np.linspace(-np.pi, np.pi, 100)
    y = 2 * np.sin(x)

    ax = fig.add_subplot(2, 2, 1)
    ax.set_title('centered spines')
    ax.plot(x, y)
    ax.spines['left'].set_position('center')
    ax.spines['right'].set_color('none')
    ax.spines['bottom'].set_position('center')
    ax.spines['top'].set_color('none')
    ax.spines['left'].set_smart_bounds(True)
    ax.spines['bottom'].set_smart_bounds(True)
    ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom')
    ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left')

    ax = fig.add_subplot(2, 2, 2)
    ax.set_title('zeroed spines')
    ax.plot(x, y)
    ax.spines['left'].set_position('zero')
    ax.spines['right'].set_color('none')
    ax.spines['bottom'].set_position('zero')
    ax.spines['top'].set_color('none')
    ax.spines['left'].set_smart_bounds(True)
    ax.spines['bottom'].set_smart_bounds(True)
    ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom')
    ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left')

    ax = fig.add_subplot(2, 2, 3)
    ax.set_title('spines at axes (0.6, 0.1)')
    ax.plot(x, y)
    ax.spines['left'].set_position(('axes', 0.6))
    ax.spines['right'].set_color('none')
    ax.spines['bottom'].set_position(('axes', 0.1))
    ax.spines['top'].set_color('none')
    ax.spines['left'].set_smart_bounds(True)
    ax.spines['bottom'].set_smart_bounds(True)
    ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom')
    ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left')

    ax = fig.add_subplot(2, 2, 4)
    ax.set_title('spines at data (1, 2)')
    ax.plot(x, y)
    ax.spines['left'].set_position(('data', 1))
    ax.spines['right'].set_color('none')
    ax.spines['bottom'].set_position(('data', 2))
    ax.spines['top'].set_color('none')
    ax.spines['left'].set_smart_bounds(True)
    ax.spines['bottom'].set_smart_bounds(True)
    ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom')
    ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left')




.. image:: /gallery/ticks_and_spines/images/sphx_glr_spine_placement_demo_001.png
    :align: center




Define a method that adjusts the location of the axis spines



.. code-block:: python



    def adjust_spines(ax, spines):
        for loc, spine in ax.spines.items():
            if loc in spines:
                spine.set_position(('outward', 10))  # outward by 10 points
                spine.set_smart_bounds(True)
            else:
                spine.set_color('none')  # don't draw spine

        # turn off ticks where there is no spine
        if 'left' in spines:
            ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left')
        else:
            # no yaxis ticks
            ax.yaxis.set_ticks([])

        if 'bottom' in spines:
            ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom')
        else:
            # no xaxis ticks
            ax.xaxis.set_ticks([])








Create another figure using our new ``adjust_spines`` method



.. code-block:: python


    fig = plt.figure()

    x = np.linspace(0, 2 * np.pi, 100)
    y = 2 * np.sin(x)

    ax = fig.add_subplot(2, 2, 1)
    ax.plot(x, y, clip_on=False)
    adjust_spines(ax, ['left'])

    ax = fig.add_subplot(2, 2, 2)
    ax.plot(x, y, clip_on=False)
    adjust_spines(ax, [])

    ax = fig.add_subplot(2, 2, 3)
    ax.plot(x, y, clip_on=False)
    adjust_spines(ax, ['left', 'bottom'])

    ax = fig.add_subplot(2, 2, 4)
    ax.plot(x, y, clip_on=False)
    adjust_spines(ax, ['bottom'])

    plt.show()



.. image:: /gallery/ticks_and_spines/images/sphx_glr_spine_placement_demo_002.png
    :align: center




**Total running time of the script:** ( 0 minutes  0.551 seconds)



.. only :: html

 .. container:: sphx-glr-footer


  .. container:: sphx-glr-download

     :download:`Download Python source code: spine_placement_demo.py <spine_placement_demo.py>`



  .. container:: sphx-glr-download

     :download:`Download Jupyter notebook: spine_placement_demo.ipynb <spine_placement_demo.ipynb>`


.. only:: html

 .. rst-class:: sphx-glr-signature

    `Gallery generated by Sphinx-Gallery <https://sphinx-gallery.readthedocs.io>`_
