Export plot with margins very close to edges

Hi,

I am new to Matlab. My code below exports a plot with margins (default).

% Create values to plot
IR = [1 2 5; 5 3 8; 2 2 5]';
INF = IR-0.50;
SUP = IR+0.50;
INF2 = IR-1;
SUP2 = IR+1;

% Define the rows and columns for the subplots (you choose)
row = 2;
col = 2;

% Define a timeline
nsteps = size(IR, 1);
steps = 1:1:nsteps;
x_axis = zeros(1,nsteps);
x = steps; 

% Options for plot
opt_plot.marker = 'o';
opt_plot.linecol = [13, 54, 84]./255;
opt_plot.swathecol = [138, 178, 212]./255;
opt_plot.linewidth = 2;
opt_plot.alpha = 0.5;
opt_plot.marker_x = '--k';
opt_plot.linewidth_x = 0.5;

FigSize(26, 24)

% var1
ii = 1;
y = IR(:,ii)'; 
ci1_u = SUP(:,ii)';
ci1_l = INF(:,ii)';
ci2_u = SUP2(:,ii)';
ci2_l = INF2(:,ii)';
subplot(row,col,1);
plot(x, y, 'color', opt_plot.linecol, 'Marker', opt_plot.marker, 'MarkerFaceColor', opt_plot.linecol, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth); hold on
patch([x fliplr(x)], [ci1_l fliplr(ci1_u)], opt_plot.swathecol, 'FaceAlpha', opt_plot.alpha, 'EdgeColor', 'none')
patch([x fliplr(x)], [ci2_l fliplr(ci2_u)], opt_plot.swathecol, 'FaceAlpha', opt_plot.alpha, 'EdgeColor', 'none')
plot(x, y, 'color', opt_plot.linecol, 'Marker', opt_plot.marker, 'MarkerFaceColor', opt_plot.linecol, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth); hold on % the same code line as above
plot(x_axis, opt_plot.marker_x, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth_x); hold on
xlim([1 nsteps]);
title('var1','FontSize',11); 
set(gca, 'Layer', 'top');

% var2
ii = 2;
y = IR(:,ii)'; 
ci1_u = SUP(:,ii)';
ci1_l = INF(:,ii)';
ci2_u = SUP2(:,ii)';
ci2_l = INF2(:,ii)';
subplot(row,col,2);
plot(x, y, 'color', opt_plot.linecol, 'Marker', opt_plot.marker, 'MarkerFaceColor', opt_plot.linecol, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth); hold on
patch([x fliplr(x)], [ci1_l fliplr(ci1_u)], opt_plot.swathecol, 'FaceAlpha', opt_plot.alpha, 'EdgeColor', 'none')
patch([x fliplr(x)], [ci2_l fliplr(ci2_u)], opt_plot.swathecol, 'FaceAlpha', opt_plot.alpha, 'EdgeColor', 'none')
plot(x, y, 'color', opt_plot.linecol, 'Marker', opt_plot.marker, 'MarkerFaceColor', opt_plot.linecol, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth); hold on % the same code line as above
plot(x_axis, opt_plot.marker_x, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth_x); hold on
xlim([1 nsteps]);
title('var2','FontSize',11); 
set(gca, 'Layer', 'top');

% var3
ii = 3;
y = IR(:,ii)'; 
ci1_u = SUP(:,ii)';
ci1_l = INF(:,ii)';
ci2_u = SUP2(:,ii)';
ci2_l = INF2(:,ii)';
subplot(row,col,3);
plot(x, y, 'color', opt_plot.linecol, 'Marker', opt_plot.marker, 'MarkerFaceColor', opt_plot.linecol, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth); hold on
patch([x fliplr(x)], [ci1_l fliplr(ci1_u)], opt_plot.swathecol, 'FaceAlpha', opt_plot.alpha, 'EdgeColor', 'none')
patch([x fliplr(x)], [ci2_l fliplr(ci2_u)], opt_plot.swathecol, 'FaceAlpha', opt_plot.alpha, 'EdgeColor', 'none')
plot(x, y, 'color', opt_plot.linecol, 'Marker', opt_plot.marker, 'MarkerFaceColor', opt_plot.linecol, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth); hold on % the same code line as above
plot(x_axis, opt_plot.marker_x, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth_x); hold on
xlim([1 nsteps]);
title('var3','FontSize',11); 
set(gca, 'Layer', 'top');

% Save
exportgraphics(gcf,'example.pdf', 'ContentType', 'image');
clf('reset')

The resulting PDF file is a plot with margins, which I display below.

But I want the resulting plot in PDF file have really small margins, that is, the subplots be very close to the edges like in the PDF example below. How can I do it? Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

[Mathieu NOE]

hello

there are different options to modify the subplots margins :

How do I decrease the margins around the subplots in my figure in MATLAB? - MATLAB Answers - MATLAB Central

here I show you how to do with (you will have to dowload it and save it in your path)

subtightplot - File Exchange - MATLAB Central

with these paramaters for

% options for subtightplot

gap = [0.15,0.1]; % [vertical,horizontal]

marg_h = [0.05,0.05]; % [lower uppper]

marg_w = [0.03,0.05]; % [left right]

I got this result (you can continue to fine tune) :

Also I noticed that instead of repeating the same code for each subplot, you can make your code more concise with a for loop :

% Create values to plot
IR = [1 2 5; 5 3 8; 2 2 5]';
INF = IR-0.50;
SUP = IR+0.50;
INF2 = IR-1;
SUP2 = IR+1;
% Define the rows and columns for the subplots (you choose)
row = 2;
col = 2;
% Define a timeline
nsteps = size(IR, 1);
steps = 1:1:nsteps;
x_axis = zeros(1,nsteps);
x = steps; 
% Options for plot
opt_plot.marker = 'o';
opt_plot.linecol = [13, 54, 84]./255;
opt_plot.swathecol = [138, 178, 212]./255;
opt_plot.linewidth = 2;
opt_plot.alpha = 0.5;
opt_plot.marker_x = '--k';
opt_plot.linewidth_x = 0.5;
FigSize(26, 24)

% options for subtightplot
gap = [0.15,0.1];          % [vertical,horizontal]
marg_h = [0.05,0.05];       % [lower uppper]
marg_w = [0.03,0.05];      % [left right]

for k=1:3
    % var k
    y = IR(:,k)'; 
    ci1_u = SUP(:,k)';
    ci1_l = INF(:,k)';
    ci2_u = SUP2(:,k)';
    ci2_l = INF2(:,k)';
    subtightplot(row,col,k,gap,marg_h,marg_w);
    plot(x, y, 'color', opt_plot.linecol, 'Marker', opt_plot.marker, 'MarkerFaceColor', opt_plot.linecol, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth); hold on
    patch([x fliplr(x)], [ci1_l fliplr(ci1_u)], opt_plot.swathecol, 'FaceAlpha', opt_plot.alpha, 'EdgeColor', 'none')
    patch([x fliplr(x)], [ci2_l fliplr(ci2_u)], opt_plot.swathecol, 'FaceAlpha', opt_plot.alpha, 'EdgeColor', 'none')
    plot(x, y, 'color', opt_plot.linecol, 'Marker', opt_plot.marker, 'MarkerFaceColor', opt_plot.linecol, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth); hold on % the same code line as above
    plot(x_axis, opt_plot.marker_x, 'LineWidth', opt_plot.linewidth_x); hold on
    xlim([1 nsteps]);
    title(['var' num2str(k)],'FontSize',11); 
    set(gca, 'Layer', 'top');

end

% Save
exportgraphics(gcf,'example.pdf', 'ContentType', 'image');
clf('reset')

[Vitor]

Thanks for the solution and the advice to simplify my code.