Different color inside chart area from background using barplot in R

Question

I am creating a stacked plot using "barplot" in R. I want to set the chart area color to gray and the background to light blue. I can set the background color to light blue but cannot control the color inside the chart area. There are similar questions asked for chartjs but nothing for barplot.Below is the script I was attempting. Is there a way I can have a different color (gray) within the chart area bound by the axes and different color (light blue) outside the axes?

cols <-c("#4F81BD","#8064A2","#9BBB59","#C0504D","#000077")
pdf(file="Figure-check.pdf", width=11.5, height=8)  
par(mar=c(10,3,6,7) +.01, bg = "#99CCFF")
barplot(Variabletoplot, main="Figure Title", col= cols, border = TRUE, axes = TRUE, ylab = "YLABEL", bg = "gray")
legend("right", rownames(merge1), fill=cols, horiz=FALSE, title="LEGEND TITLE", xpd=TRUE, inset =c(-.145,0))
dev.off()

Whoever downgraded this question, can that person care to explain the reason? I tried to be clear but generic. — bgnj2015, Oct 26 '16 at 14:52
(no downvoter) You are missing `Variabletoplot`. Other than that nothing wrong with the question in my opinion. — Jan van der Laan, Oct 26 '16 at 14:54

score 0 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:06

The closest previous answer I could find is How to change the background colour of a subplot/inset in R?.

But the trick is to draw you chart, mainly to get the axis correct, then draw a rectangle, then redraw the barchart over the rectangle (only modified code is shown below):

# Draw barchart to get a plot with correct axes; draw as little as
# possible
barplot(c(foo=1, bar=2.2), names.arg="", col= cols, border = NA, 
  axes = FALSE, ylab = "")

# Draw the background by drawing a rectangle:
rect(par("usr")[1], par("usr")[3], par("usr")[2], 
  par("usr")[4],col = "gray")

# Redraw the barchart with all labels etc. 
barplot(c(foo=1, bar=2.2), main="Figure Title", col= cols, 
  border = TRUE, axes = TRUE, ylab = "YLABEL",
  add=TRUE)

Different color inside chart area from background using barplot in R

1 Answers1