ggplot2 plot without axes, legends, etc

Question

I want to use bioconductor's hexbin (which I can do) to generate a plot that fills the entire (png) display region - no axes, no labels, no background, no nuthin'.

Wouldn't it be easier to create a hexbin plot and the crop it in an image editor? — joran, Jun 29 '11 at 23:36

score 224 · Answer 1 · edited Mar 25 '15 at 05:15

As per my comment in Chase's answer, you can remove a lot of this stuff using element_blank:

dat <- data.frame(x=runif(10),y=runif(10))

p <- ggplot(dat, aes(x=x, y=y)) + 
        geom_point() +
        scale_x_continuous(expand=c(0,0)) + 
        scale_y_continuous(expand=c(0,0))   

p + theme(axis.line=element_blank(),axis.text.x=element_blank(),
          axis.text.y=element_blank(),axis.ticks=element_blank(),
          axis.title.x=element_blank(),
          axis.title.y=element_blank(),legend.position="none",
          panel.background=element_blank(),panel.border=element_blank(),panel.grid.major=element_blank(),
          panel.grid.minor=element_blank(),plot.background=element_blank())

It looks like there's still a small margin around the edge of the resulting .png when I save this. Perhaps someone else knows how to remove even that component.

(Historical note: Since ggplot2 version 0.9.2, opts has been deprecated. Instead use theme() and replace theme_blank() with element_blank().)

Many thanks! I also found a similar solution at http://groups.google.com/group/ggplot2/browse_thread/thread/72403c6997b79c3b — user1320487, Jul 01 '11 at 20:44
Comment in passing: In some cases, ``theme(axis.ticks=element_blank())`` does not work as well as ``theme(axis.ticks.x=element_blank())``, probably a temporary bug somewhere (I have my own theme set, then I attempt to override: only ``axis.ticks.x`` and ``axis.ticks.y`` do the job.) — PatrickT, Apr 14 '18 at 17:33

score 122 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 06 '13 at 20:12

122

Re: changing opts to theme etc (for lazy folks):

theme(axis.line=element_blank(),
      axis.text.x=element_blank(),
      axis.text.y=element_blank(),
      axis.ticks=element_blank(),
      axis.title.x=element_blank(),
      axis.title.y=element_blank(),
      legend.position="none",
      panel.background=element_blank(),
      panel.border=element_blank(),
      panel.grid.major=element_blank(),
      panel.grid.minor=element_blank(),
      plot.background=element_blank())

answered Nov 06 '13 at 20:12

mbjoseph

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Although `theme_void` offered in another answer is the easiest way to achieve the OP's aims, if combining with `facet_grid` or `facet_wrap` you will also lose the boxes around the facet labels. If you don't want this to happen, this answer is the one to use. – EcologyTom Jun 16 '21 at 09:19

score 84 · Answer 3 · edited Jun 29 '23 at 15:22

84

Current answers are either incomplete or inefficient. Here is (perhaps) the shortest way to achieve the outcome (using theme_void()):

data(diamonds) # Data example

ggplot(data = diamonds, mapping = aes(x = clarity)) +
  geom_bar(aes(fill = cut)) +
  theme_void() +
  theme(legend.position = "none")

The outcome is:

If you are interested in just eliminating the labels, labs(x="", y="") does the trick:

ggplot(data = diamonds, mapping = aes(x = clarity)) +
  geom_bar(aes(fill = cut)) + 
  labs(x = "", y = "")

edited Jun 29 '23 at 15:22

Patrick

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answered Dec 07 '16 at 15:46

luchonacho

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`ggplot(data = diamonds, mapping = aes(x = clarity)) + geom_bar(aes(fill = cut)) + theme_void() + theme(legend.position="none", panel.background = element_rect(fill="grey80"), plot.background = element_rect(fill="red"))` suggests it's not 100% void – baptiste Dec 07 '16 at 18:48
1

The labs( x="", y="" ) does not appear to remove the axes, just the labels. – miratrix Aug 15 '17 at 15:35
@miratrix sorry, my mistake. Updated. – luchonacho Aug 15 '17 at 15:44
7

@luchonacho Using `labs(x="",y="")` leaves space of axis titles because actually there are titles, they are just without signs. To remove axis titles and space for them it is better to use `+ theme(axis.title = element_blank())` – Didzis Elferts Aug 15 '17 at 15:53
7

``labs(x = NULL)`` or ``xlab(NULL)`` are other ways. – PatrickT Apr 14 '18 at 17:36

Jonas Stein · Answer 4 · 2012-12-03T18:39:10.870

43

'opts' is deprecated.

in ggplot2 >= 0.9.2 use

p + theme(legend.position = "none")

edited Dec 03 '12 at 18:39

answered Nov 23 '12 at 02:48

Jonas Stein

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I realize you don't have edit privileges yet, but if you spot other ggplot2 answers of mine that need to be updated re:opts() feel free to suggest an edit. I'll get a notification and can incorporate it myself. – joran Dec 03 '12 at 19:07

score 10 · Answer 5 · answered Sep 23 '20 at 15:04

Late to the party, but might be of interest...

I find a combination of labs and guides specification useful in many cases:

You want nothing but a grid and a background:

ggplot(diamonds, mapping = aes(x = clarity)) + 
  geom_bar(aes(fill = cut)) + 
  labs(x = NULL, y = NULL) + 
  guides(x = "none", y = "none")

You want to only suppress the tick-mark label of one or both axes:

ggplot(diamonds, mapping = aes(x = clarity)) + 
  geom_bar(aes(fill = cut)) + 
  guides(x = "none", y = "none")

score 3 · Answer 6 · answered Jun 14 '12 at 09:54

3

xy <- data.frame(x=1:10, y=10:1)
plot <- ggplot(data = xy)+geom_point(aes(x = x, y = y))
plot
panel = grid.get("panel-3-3")

grid.newpage()
pushViewport(viewport(w=1, h=1, name="layout"))
pushViewport(viewport(w=1, h=1, name="panel-3-3"))
upViewport(1)
upViewport(1)
grid.draw(panel)

answered Jun 14 '12 at 09:54

amaurel

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`Error in UseMethod("grid.draw") : no applicable method for 'grid.draw' applied to an object of class "NULL"` – Roman Luštrik Jun 14 '12 at 10:06
grid.ls() display the list of viewport and grob objects – amaurel Jun 15 '12 at 14:44
it appears that in other version of ggplot that i am using the panel name is different – amaurel Jun 15 '12 at 14:44
xy <- data.frame(x=1:10, y=10:1) plot <- ggplot(data = xy)+geom_point(aes(x = x, y = y)) plot panel = grid.get("panel-3-4") grid.newpage() pushViewport(viewport(w=1, h=1, name="layout")) pushViewport(viewport(w=1, h=1, name="panel-3-4")) upViewport(1) upViewport(1) grid.draw(panel) – amaurel Jun 15 '12 at 14:45

score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Jan 26 '22 at 15:37

3

use ggeasy, it is more simple.

library(ggeasy)
p + theme_classic()+easy_remove_axes() + easy_remove_legend()

answered Jan 26 '22 at 15:37

Sandy

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score 1 · Answer 8 · answered Oct 05 '20 at 20:58

I didn't find this solution here. It removes all of it using the cowplot package:

library(cowplot)

p + theme_nothing() +
theme(legend.position="none") +
scale_x_continuous(expand=c(0,0)) +
scale_y_continuous(expand=c(0,0)) +
labs(x = NULL, y = NULL)

Just noticed that the same thing can be accomplished using theme.void() like this:

p + theme_void() +
theme(legend.position="none") +
scale_x_continuous(expand=c(0,0)) +
scale_y_continuous(expand=c(0,0)) +
labs(x = NULL, y = NULL)

score 0 · Answer 9 · answered Jun 30 '11 at 12:13

0

Does this do what you want?

 p <- ggplot(myData, aes(foo, bar)) + geom_whateverGeomYouWant(more = options) +
 p + scale_x_continuous(expand=c(0,0)) + 
 scale_y_continuous(expand=c(0,0)) +
 opts(legend.position = "none")

answered Jun 30 '11 at 12:13

Chase

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gets rid of legend but x and y axes, and the background grid, are still there. – user1320487 Jul 01 '11 at 01:13

ggplot2 plot without axes, legends, etc

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