Axes in R

How to adjust axes properties in R. Seven examples of linear and logarithmic axes, axes titles, and styling and coloring axes and grid lines.

New to Plotly?

Plotly's R library is free and open source!
Get started by downloading the client and reading the primer.
You can set up Plotly to work in online or offline mode.
We also have a quick-reference cheatsheet (new!) to help you get started!

Version Check

Version 4 of Plotly's R package is now available!
Check out this post for more information on breaking changes and new features available in this version.

library(plotly)
packageVersion('plotly')

Style Axes Ticks and Placement

library(plotly)
a <- list(
  autotick = FALSE,
  ticks = "outside",
  tick0 = 0,
  dtick = 0.25,
  ticklen = 5,
  tickwidth = 2,
  tickcolor = toRGB("blue")
)
s <- seq(1, 4, by = 0.25)
p <- plot_ly(x = ~s, y = ~s) %>%
  layout(xaxis = a, yaxis = a)

# Create a shareable link to your chart
# Set up API credentials: https://plot.ly/r/getting-started
chart_link = api_create(p, filename="axes/1")
chart_link

Style Axes Titles and Ticks Labels

library(plotly)
f1 <- list(
  family = "Arial, sans-serif",
  size = 18,
  color = "lightgrey"
)
f2 <- list(
  family = "Old Standard TT, serif",
  size = 14,
  color = "black"
)
a <- list(
  title = "AXIS TITLE",
  titlefont = f1,
  showticklabels = TRUE,
  tickangle = 45,
  tickfont = f2,
  exponentformat = "E"
)

s <- seq(1e6, 1e7, length.out = 10)
p <- plot_ly(x = ~s, y = ~s) %>%
  add_markers() %>%
  add_markers(y = ~rev(s)) %>%
  layout(xaxis = a, yaxis = a, showlegend = FALSE)

# Create a shareable link to your chart
# Set up API credentials: https://plot.ly/r/getting-started
chart_link = api_create(p, filename="axes/2")
chart_link

Style Axes and Zero-Lines

library(plotly)
ax <- list(
  zeroline = TRUE,
  showline = TRUE,
  mirror = "ticks",
  gridcolor = toRGB("gray50"),
  gridwidth = 2,
  zerolinecolor = toRGB("red"),
  zerolinewidth = 4,
  linecolor = toRGB("black"),
  linewidth = 6
)
s <- seq(-1, 4)
p <- plot_ly(x = ~s, y = ~s) %>%
  layout(xaxis = ax, yaxis = ax)

# Create a shareable link to your chart
# Set up API credentials: https://plot.ly/r/getting-started
chart_link = api_create(p, filename="axes/3")
chart_link

Hide Axes Title, Lines, Ticks, and Labels

library(plotly)
ax <- list(
  title = "",
  zeroline = FALSE,
  showline = FALSE,
  showticklabels = FALSE,
  showgrid = FALSE
)

p <- plot_ly(x = c(1, 2), y = c(1, 2)) %>%
  layout(xaxis = ax, yaxis = ax)

# Create a shareable link to your chart
# Set up API credentials: https://plot.ly/r/getting-started
chart_link = api_create(p, filename="axes/4")
chart_link

Reversed Axes

library(plotly)
p <- plot_ly(x = c(1, 2), y = c(1, 2)) %>%
  layout(xaxis = list(autorange = "reversed"))

# Create a shareable link to your chart
# Set up API credentials: https://plot.ly/r/getting-started
chart_link = api_create(p, filename="axes/5")
chart_link

Logarithmic Axes

library(plotly)
s <- seq(1, 8)
p <- plot_ly(x = ~s) %>%
  add_trace(y = ~exp(s), name = "exponential") %>%
  add_trace(y =  ~s, name = "linear") %>%
  layout(yaxis = list(type = "log"))

# Create a shareable link to your chart
# Set up API credentials: https://plot.ly/r/getting-started
chart_link = api_create(p, filename="axes/6")
chart_link

Fixed-Ratio Axes

library(plotly)

p <- plot_ly(
    width = 800,
    height = 500
  ) %>% 
  add_trace(
    x = c(0,1,1,0,0,1,1,2,2,3,3,2,2,3),
    y = c(0,0,1,1,3,3,2,2,3,3,1,1,0,0),
    mode = 'lines'
  ) %>%
  add_trace(
    x = c(0,1,2,3),
    y = c(1,2,4,8),
    yaxis = "y2",
    mode = 'lines'
  ) %>% 
  add_trace(
    x = c(1,10,100,10,1),
    y = c(0,1,2,3,4),
    xaxis = "x2",
    yaxis ="y3",
    mode = 'lines'
  ) %>% 
  add_trace(
    x = c(1,100,30,80,1),
    y = c(1,1.5,2,2.5,3),
    xaxis = "x2",
    yaxis = "y4",
    mode = 'lines'
  ) %>% 
  layout(
    title = "fixed-ratio axes",
    xaxis = list(
      nticks = 10,
      domain = c(0, 0.45),
      title = "shared X axis"
    ),
    yaxis = list(
      scaleanchor = "x",
      domain = c(0, 0.45),
      title = "1:1"
    ),
    yaxis2 = list(
      scaleanchor = "x",
      scaleratio = 0.2,
      domain = c(0.55,1),
      title = "1:5"
    ),
    xaxis2 = list(
      type = "log",
      domain = c(0.55, 1),
      anchor = "y3",
      title = "unconstrained log X"
    ),
    yaxis3 = list(
      domain = c(0, 0.45),
      anchor = "x2",
      title = "Scale matches ->"
    ),
    yaxis4 = list(
      scaleanchor = "y3",
      domain = c(0.55, 1),
      anchor = "x2",
      title = "Scale matches <-"
    ),
    showlegend= FALSE
)

# Create a shareable link to your chart
# Set up API credentials: https://plot.ly/r/getting-started
chart_link = api_create(p, filename="axes/aspectratio", sharing = 'public')
chart_link

Rangemode

library(plotly)
p <- plot_ly(x = seq(2, 6, by = 2), y = seq(-3, 3, by = 3)) %>%
  layout(
    xaxis = list(rangemode = "tozero"),
    yaxis = list(rangemode = "nonnegative"))

# Create a shareable link to your chart
# Set up API credentials: https://plot.ly/r/getting-started
chart_link = api_create(p, filename="axes/7")
chart_link

Manual Ranges

library(plotly)
s <- seq(1, 8)
p <- plot_ly(x = s, y = s) %>%
  add_trace(y = rev(s)) %>%
  layout(
    xaxis = list(range = c(2, 5)),
    yaxis = list(range = c(2, 5)))

# Create a shareable link to your chart
# Set up API credentials: https://plot.ly/r/getting-started
chart_link = api_create(p, filename="axes/8")
chart_link

Modifying Axes for 3D Plots

library(plotly)
set.seed(123)

# Create Random Data
ds <- diamonds[sample(1:nrow(diamonds), size = 1000),]

# Create lists for axis properties
f1 <- list(
  family = "Arial, sans-serif",
  size = 18,
  color = "lightgrey")

f2 <- list(
  family = "Old Standard TT, serif",
  size = 14,
  color = "#ff9999")

axis <- list(
  titlefont = f1,
  tickfont = f2,
  showgrid = F
)

scene = list(
  xaxis = axis,
  yaxis = axis,
  zaxis = axis,
  camera = list(eye = list(x = -1.25, y = 1.25, z = 1.25)))


p <- plot_ly(ds, x = ~carat, y = ~cut, z = ~price, size = I(3)) %>%
  layout(title = "3D Scatter plot", scene = scene)

# Create a shareable link to your chart
# Set up API credentials: https://plot.ly/r/getting-started
chart_link = api_create(p, filename="axes/9")
chart_link