How to Change the Size of Figures Drawn with Matplotlib

Matplotlib is a powerful Python library for creating high-quality visualizations. One common task when creating visualizations is changing the size of the figure to fit a particular use case. In this blog post, we will cover different methods to change the size of figures drawn with Matplotlib. Matplotlib has a default size for figures, which may not always be suitable for every use case. The size of a figure can be changed using different methods. In this blog post, we will cover five different methods to change the size of figures drawn with Matplotlib.

Method 1: Using figsize parameter

The first method to change the size of a figure is by using the figsize parameter when creating a new figure. The figsize parameter takes a tuple of two values, which represent the width and height of the figure in inches.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig = plt.figure(figsize=(6,4))

This will create a figure with a width of 6 inches and a height of 4 inches.

Method 2: Using rcParams

The second method to change the size of a figure is by using the rcParams dictionary. rcParams is a dictionary that contains the default parameters for Matplotlib. To change the size of a figure using rcParams, you can modify the value of the figure.figsize key.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib as mpl

mpl.rcParams['figure.figsize'] = [6, 4]

fig = plt.figure()

This will set the default figure size to a width of 6 inches and a height of 4 inches. Any new figure created after this modification will have this size.

Method 3: Using subplots_adjust

The third method to change the size of a figure is by using the subplots_adjust function. subplots_adjust is a function that adjusts the spacing between subplots. By using this function, you can also change the size of the figure.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig, ax = plt.subplots()

fig.subplots_adjust(left=0.2, right=0.8, top=0.8, bottom=0.2)

The subplots_adjust function takes four parameters: left, right, top, and bottom. These parameters control the size and position of the subplots in the figure. By adjusting these values, you can change the size of the figure.

Method 4: Using GridSpec

The fourth method to change the size of a figure is by using the GridSpec class. GridSpec is a class that allows you to create grids of subplots in a figure. By using GridSpec, you can also change the size of the figure.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib.gridspec import GridSpec

fig = plt.figure()

gs = GridSpec(2, 2, figure=fig, width_ratios=[2, 1], height_ratios=[1, 2])

ax1 = fig.add_subplot(gs[0, 0])
ax2 = fig.add_subplot(gs[0, 1])
ax3 = fig.add_subplot(gs[1, :])

fig.tight_layout()

In this example, we create a 2×2 grid of subplots using GridSpec. We also specify the

width ratios and height ratios for each row and column of the grid. By adjusting these ratios, we can change the size of the figure. We then add the subplots to the figure using the add_subplot method. Finally, we call the tight_layout method to adjust the spacing between subplots and ensure that they fit within the figure.

Method 5: Using tight_layout

The fifth method to change the size of a figure is by using the tight_layout function. tight_layout is a function that adjusts the spacing between subplots to ensure that they fit within the figure.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig, ax = plt.subplots()

fig.set_size_inches(6, 4)

plt.tight_layout()

In this example, we first create a new figure using plt.subplots(). We then set the size of the figure using the set_size_inches method. Finally, we call the tight_layout function to adjust the spacing between subplots and ensure that they fit within the figure.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we have covered five different methods to change the size of figures drawn with Matplotlib. These methods include using the figsize parameter, rcParams, subplots_adjust, GridSpec, and tight_layout. By using these methods, you can easily customize the size of your figures to fit your specific use case.