Figure design

class: center, middle, title-slide

# Figure design
### Claus O. Wilke
### last updated: 2021-09-23

---

.pull-left[
.title-font[How do you go from this ...]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-raw-1.svg)
]]

.pull-right[
.title-font[... to this?]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-polished-1.svg)
]]

.small-font[
Requires coordinated modification of multiple elements:
]

.small-font[
- geoms (via arguments to geoms)
- scales (via `scale_*()` functions)
- plot appearance (via themes)
]

---

## The starting point, a rough draft

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(lincoln_temps) +
  aes(x = mean_temp, y = month_long) +
  geom_density_ridges()
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-progression1-out-1.svg)
]

.tiny-font[
You can download the dataset using this code:

```r
lincoln_temps <- readRDS(
  url("https://wilkelab.org/DSC385/datasets/lincoln_temps.rds")
)
```
]

---

## Set `scale` and `bandwidth` to shape ridgelines

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(lincoln_temps) +
  aes(x = mean_temp, y = month_long) +
  geom_density_ridges(
    scale = 3, bandwidth = 3.4
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-progression2-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Set `rel_min_height` to cut ridgelines near zero

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(lincoln_temps) +
  aes(x = mean_temp, y = month_long) +
  geom_density_ridges(
    scale = 3, bandwidth = 3.4,
    rel_min_height = 0.01
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-progression3-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Use `scale_*()` functions to specify axis labels

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(lincoln_temps) +
  aes(x = mean_temp, y = month_long) +
  geom_density_ridges(
    scale = 3, bandwidth = 3.4,
    rel_min_height = 0.01,
  ) +
  scale_x_continuous(
    name = "mean temperature (°F)"
  ) +
  scale_y_discrete(
    name = NULL  # NULL means no label
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-progression4-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Specify scale expansion

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(lincoln_temps) +
  aes(x = mean_temp, y = month_long) +
  geom_density_ridges(
    scale = 3, bandwidth = 3.4,
    rel_min_height = 0.01
  ) +
  scale_x_continuous(
    name = "mean temperature (°F)",
    expand = c(0, 0)
  ) +
  scale_y_discrete(
    name = NULL,
    expand = expansion(add = c(0.2, 2.6))
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-progression5-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Set overall plot theme

.pull-left.tiny-font[

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-progression6-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Align y axis labels to grid lines

.pull-left.tiny-font[

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-progression7-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Change fill color from default gray to blue

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(lincoln_temps) +
  aes(x = mean_temp, y = month_long) +
  geom_density_ridges(
    scale = 3, bandwidth = 3.4,
    rel_min_height = 0.01,
    fill = "#7DCCFF"
  ) +
  scale_x_continuous(
    name = "mean temperature (°F)",
    expand = c(0, 0)
  ) +
  scale_y_discrete(
    name = NULL,
    expand = expansion(add = c(0.2, 2.6))
  ) +
  theme_minimal_grid() +
  theme(
    axis.text.y = element_text(vjust = 0)
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-progression8-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Draw lines in white instead of black

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(lincoln_temps) +
  aes(x = mean_temp, y = month_long) +
  geom_density_ridges(
    scale = 3, bandwidth = 3.4,
    rel_min_height = 0.01,
    fill = "#7DCCFF",
    color = "white"
  ) +
  scale_x_continuous(
    name = "mean temperature (°F)",
    expand = c(0, 0)
  ) +
  scale_y_discrete(
    name = NULL,
    expand = expansion(add = c(0.2, 2.6))
  ) +
  theme_minimal_grid() +
  theme(
    axis.text.y = element_text(vjust = 0)
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/lincoln-ridgeline-final-out-1.svg)
]

[//]: # "segment ends here"

---
class: center middle

## Working with ggplot themes

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point()
  # default theme is theme_gray()
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_gray()
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes2-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_gray(14) # most themes take a font-size argument to scale text size
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes3-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_bw(14)
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes4-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_minimal(14)
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes5-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_classic(14)
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes6-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_half_open()  # from package cowplot
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes7-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_minimal_grid()  # from package cowplot
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes8-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_minimal_hgrid()  # from package cowplot
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes9-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_minimal_vgrid()  # from package cowplot
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes10-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_economist(14)       # from package ggthemes
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes11-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_economist(14) + scale_color_economist() # from package ggthemes
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes12-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Using ready-made themes

.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins, aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g, color = species)) +
  geom_point() +
  theme_fivethirtyeight(14) + scale_color_fivethirtyeight() # from package ggthemes
```
]

.center[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-complete-themes13-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Customizing theme elements

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins) +
  aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g) +
  geom_point(aes(color = species)) +
  theme_minimal_grid()
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-theme-elements1-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Customizing theme elements

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins) +
  aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g) +
  geom_point(aes(color = species)) +
  theme_minimal_grid() +
  theme(
    # change overall font family
    # (requires font to be available)
    text = element_text(
      family = "Comic Sans MS"
    )
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-theme-elements2-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Customizing theme elements

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins) +
  aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g) +
  geom_point(aes(color = species)) +
  theme_minimal_grid() +
  theme(
    # change color of axis titles
    axis.title = element_text(
      color = "royalblue2"
    )
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-theme-elements3-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Customizing theme elements

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins) +
  aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g) +
  geom_point(aes(color = species)) +
  theme_minimal_grid() +
  theme(
    # change color of only the x axis title
    axis.title.x = element_text(
      color = "royalblue2"
    )
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-theme-elements4-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Customizing theme elements

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins) +
  aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g) +
  geom_point(aes(color = species)) +
  theme_minimal_grid() +
  theme(
    # change all text colors?
    # why does it not work?
    text = element_text(color = "royalblue2")
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-theme-elements5-out-1.svg)
]

---

## Customizing theme elements

.pull-left.tiny-font[

```r
ggplot(penguins) +
  aes(flipper_length_mm, body_mass_g) +
  geom_point(aes(color = species)) +
  theme_minimal_grid() +
  theme(
    text = element_text(color = "royalblue2"),
    axis.text = element_text(
      color = "royalblue2"
    )
  )
```
]

.pull-right[
![](figure-design_files/figure-html/penguins-theme-elements6-out-1.svg)
]

.small-font[
The element `axis.text` has its own color set in the theme. Therefore it doesn't inherit from `text`.
]

---