Version 3.1.2
matplotlib

Resizing axes with constrained layout

Constrained layout attempts to resize subplots in a figure so that there are no overlaps between axes objects and labels on the axes.

See Constrained Layout Guide for more details and Tight Layout guide for an alternative.

=====================================
Resizing axes with constrained layout
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Constrained layout attempts to resize subplots in
a figure so that there are no overlaps between axes objects and labels
on the axes.

See :doc:`/tutorials/intermediate/constrainedlayout_guide` for more details and
:doc:`/tutorials/intermediate/tight_layout_guide` for an alternative.

"""

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt


def example_plot(ax):
    ax.plot([1, 2])
    ax.set_xlabel('x-label', fontsize=12)
    ax.set_ylabel('y-label', fontsize=12)
    ax.set_title('Title', fontsize=14)
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/build/matplotlib-tq5J6U/matplotlib-3.1.2/examples/subplots_axes_and_figures/demo_constrained_layout.py", line 1
    =====================================
    ^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax

If we don't use constrained_layout, then labels overlap the axes

fig, axs = plt.subplots(nrows=2, ncols=2, constrained_layout=False)

for ax in axs.flat:
    example_plot(ax)

adding constrained_layout=True automatically adjusts.

fig, axs = plt.subplots(nrows=2, ncols=2, constrained_layout=True)

for ax in axs.flat:
    example_plot(ax)

Below is a more complicated example using nested gridspecs.

fig = plt.figure(constrained_layout=True)

import matplotlib.gridspec as gridspec

gs0 = gridspec.GridSpec(1, 2, figure=fig)

gs1 = gridspec.GridSpecFromSubplotSpec(3, 1, subplot_spec=gs0[0])
for n in range(3):
    ax = fig.add_subplot(gs1[n])
    example_plot(ax)


gs2 = gridspec.GridSpecFromSubplotSpec(2, 1, subplot_spec=gs0[1])
for n in range(2):
    ax = fig.add_subplot(gs2[n])
    example_plot(ax)

plt.show()

References

The use of the following functions and methods is shown in this example:

import matplotlib
matplotlib.gridspec.GridSpec
matplotlib.gridspec.GridSpecFromSubplotSpec

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