import matplotlib.pyplot as plt import numpy as np from matplotlib.pyplot import show fig = plt.figure() x = np.linspace(0,2*np.pi,100) y = 2*np.sin(x) ax = fig.add_subplot(1,2,1) ax.set_title('dropped spines') ax.plot(x,y) for loc, spine in ax.spines.iteritems(): if loc in ['left','bottom']: spine.set_position(('outward',10)) # outward by 10 points elif loc in ['right','top']: spine.set_color('none') # don't draw spine else: raise ValueError('unknown spine location: %s'%loc) # turn off ticks where there is no spine ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom') ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left') ax = fig.add_subplot(1,2,2,sharex=ax) ax.plot(x,y) ax.set_title('normal spines') # ---------------------------------------------------- fig = plt.figure() x = np.linspace(-np.pi,np.pi,100) y = 2*np.sin(x) ax = fig.add_subplot(2,2,1) ax.set_title('centered spines') ax.plot(x,y) ax.spines['left'].set_position('center') ax.spines['right'].set_color('none') ax.spines['bottom'].set_position('center') ax.spines['top'].set_color('none') ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom') ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left') ax = fig.add_subplot(2,2,2) ax.set_title('zeroed spines') ax.plot(x,y) ax.spines['left'].set_position('zero') ax.spines['right'].set_color('none') ax.spines['bottom'].set_position('zero') ax.spines['top'].set_color('none') ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom') ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left') ax = fig.add_subplot(2,2,3) ax.set_title('spines at axes (0.6, 0.1)') ax.plot(x,y) ax.spines['left'].set_position(('axes',0.6)) ax.spines['right'].set_color('none') ax.spines['bottom'].set_position(('axes',0.1)) ax.spines['top'].set_color('none') ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom') ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left') ax = fig.add_subplot(2,2,4) ax.set_title('spines at data (1,2)') ax.plot(x,y) ax.spines['left'].set_position(('data',1)) ax.spines['right'].set_color('none') ax.spines['bottom'].set_position(('data',2)) ax.spines['top'].set_color('none') ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom') ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left') # ---------------------------------------------------- def adjust_spines(ax,spines): for loc, spine in ax.spines.iteritems(): if loc in spines: spine.set_position(('outward',10)) # outward by 10 points else: spine.set_color('none') # don't draw spine # turn off ticks where there is no spine if 'left' in spines: ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left') else: # no yaxis ticks ax.yaxis.set_ticks([]) if 'bottom' in spines: ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom') else: # no xaxis ticks ax.xaxis.set_ticks([]) fig = plt.figure() x = np.linspace(0,2*np.pi,100) y = 2*np.sin(x) ax = fig.add_subplot(2,2,1) ax.plot(x,y) adjust_spines(ax,['left']) ax = fig.add_subplot(2,2,2) ax.plot(x,y) adjust_spines(ax,[]) ax = fig.add_subplot(2,2,3) ax.plot(x,y) adjust_spines(ax,['left','bottom']) ax = fig.add_subplot(2,2,4) ax.plot(x,y) adjust_spines(ax,['bottom']) show()