Control font size in graphics in LaTeX when scaling in minipage/subfig?

Question

I am using pgf/tikz graphics and I'm wondering how one can control the scaling of font sizes in the graphics when using them in minipage/subfig environments?

Is there a way to manually set a permanent font size for pgf/tikz graphics or in latex in general so as to make font sizing invariant to scaling?

Ideally I'd like to be able to manually specify a font size per graphic or for all graphics or subfig/minipage environments?

Here is an example of the usage as suggested. Thanks for the help.

\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
\subfloat[Graph 1]{
    \begin{minipage}[h]{0.7\linewidth}
        \centering\beginpgfgraphicnamed{graph1}
        \input{graph1.tex}
        \endpgfgraphicnamed
        \label{fig:graph1}
    \end{minipage}}
\hspace{5pt}
\subfloat[Graph 2]{
    \begin{minipage}[h]{0.5\linewidth}
        \centering\beginpgfgraphicnamed{graph2}
        \input{graph2.tex}
        \endpgfgraphicnamed
        \label{fig:graph2}
    \end{minipage}}
\subfloat[Graph 3]{
    \begin{minipage}[h]{0.5\linewidth}
        \centering\beginpgfgraphicnamed{graph3}
        \input{graph3.tex}
        \endpgfgraphicnamed
        \label{fig:graph3}
    \end{minipage}}
\caption{Three Graphs}
\end{figure}

Perhaps outside of minipage/subfig I can use the suggestions from the other posting to make the font large since the graphic is scaled with the page width? What I was going for in the example was the first image on it's own, larger, and then two smallimages right below side by side with their own captions in one figure.

I saw some R tags in your profile Mica. The graphics are generated using tikzDevice and are picked up in my latex doc.

So I'm generating the files without the tikzpicture environment so that I can manually set options there myself. When I use the \begin{tikzpicture} \end{tikzpicture} I get the error "Dimension too large I can't work with sizes bigger than about 19 feet. Continue and I'll use the largest value I can.". I need to use \beginpgfgraphicnamed{} .. \endpgfgraphicnamed{} to get it to work? Not sure what the impact is exactly.

Here is a sample of the auto-generated file:

\begin{scope}
\path[clip] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (794.97,614.29);
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.13,0.76,0.43}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{0.31,0.94,0.66}
\end{scope}
\begin{scope}
\path[clip] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (794.97,614.29);
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.13,0.76,0.43}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{0.31,0.94,0.66}
\end{scope}

........

\begin{scope}
\path[clip] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (794.97,614.29);
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.13,0.76,0.43}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{0.31,0.94,0.66}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{1.00,1.00,1.00}

\draw[fill=fillColor,draw opacity=0.00,] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (794.97,614.29);
\end{scope}

........

\begin{scope}
\path[clip] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (794.97,614.29);
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.13,0.76,0.43}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{0.31,0.94,0.66}
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.00,0.00,0.00}

\node[rotate= 90.00,color=drawColor,anchor=base,inner sep=0pt, outer sep=0pt, scale=  1.00] at ( 15.92,310.59) {Mackenzie Net Sales};
\end{scope}
\begin{scope}
\path[clip] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (794.97,614.29);
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.13,0.76,0.43}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{0.31,0.94,0.66}
\end{scope}

Hopefully that is helpful, over all the file is ~1,000 lines so I tried to cut out a representation of the unique bits. Please let me know if you need anything else.

Many thanks,

Jay

Answer 1

I am not exactly sure what your aim is. To change the font size or the size of the Rest of the picture? There are multiple possibilities to reach any of these:

My example box with a 1cm x 1cm large box:

\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1,1) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5,0.5) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}

Scale the graphical elements, but NOT the text:

\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=0.5]
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1,1) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5,0.5) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}

\begin{tikzpicture}[scale=0.5]
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1cm,1cm) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5cm,0.5cm) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}

Scale the coordinates only (That is, if no unit is specified, it used multiplies of the specified x, y and z vector):

\begin{tikzpicture}[x=5mm,y=5mm]
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1,1) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5,0.5) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}

Explicit lengths are not changed with this:

\begin{tikzpicture}[x=5mm,y=5mm]
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1cm,1cm) -- +(-1cm,-1cm);
    \node(text) at (0.5cm,0.5cm) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}

Scale everything, even the text (according to the pgfmanual, this is not recommended):

\begin{tikzpicture}[transform canvas={scale=0.5}]
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1,1) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5,0.5) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}

Same effect using LaTeX commands:

\scalebox{0.5}{
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1,1) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5,0.5) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}
}

Change the font size locally, but the size of graphical elements are not changed:

\begin{tikzpicture}[font=\scriptsize]
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1,1) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5,0.5) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}

Change the font size in all subsequent tikzpicture environments (\tikzset can be used to set the options above, too):

\tikzset{font=\scriptsize}
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1,1) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5,0.5) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}

\tikzset remains local in groups:

\begin{minipage}{\linewidth}
\tikzset{font=\scriptsize}
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1,1) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5,0.5) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{minipage}

{
\tikzset{font=\scriptsize}
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1,1) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5,0.5) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}
}

\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw (0,0) rectangle (1,1) -- +(-1,-1);
    \node(text) at (0.5,0.5) {Text};
\end{tikzpicture}

I don't know whether you can edit the files graph?.tex, or are these generated? Maybe you can pass options to the program that generates the tikzpicture environment. Otherwise, just set the desired option in your desired scope using \tikzset.

Hope, that helps.

EDIT: If the options (like font=) are defined locally in the graph?.tex, then these get precedence over the options defined outside. If this is the case, you just can't overwrite them from the outside. You'd have to edit the files.

EDIT: This "minimal" example works for me (showing a really big "Mackenzie Net Sales" that exceeds the subfigure's width)

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{fix-cm}
\usepackage{subfig}
\usepackage{tikz}

\begin{document}
\tikzset{every picture/.append style={font=\fontsize{100}{120}\selectfont}}

\begin{figure}[h]
\centering
\subfloat[Graph 1]{
    \begin{minipage}[h]{0.7\linewidth}
        \centering\beginpgfgraphicnamed{graph1}
%        \input{graph1.tex}
        \endpgfgraphicnamed
        \label{fig:graph1}
    \end{minipage}}
\hspace{5pt}
\subfloat[Graph 2]{
    \begin{minipage}[h]{0.5\linewidth}
        \centering 
        \resizebox{\textwidth}{!}{

            %\beginpgfgraphicnamed{graph2}  
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{scope}
\path[clip] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (79.497,61.429);
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.13,0.76,0.43}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{0.31,0.94,0.66}
\end{scope}
\begin{scope}
\path[clip] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (79.497,61.429);
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.13,0.76,0.43}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{0.31,0.94,0.66}
\end{scope}
\begin{scope}
\path[clip] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (79.497,61.429);
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.13,0.76,0.43}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{0.31,0.94,0.66}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{1.00,1.00,1.00}
\draw[fill=fillColor,draw opacity=0.00,] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (79.497,61.429);
\end{scope}
\begin{scope}
\path[clip] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (79.497,61.429);
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.13,0.76,0.43}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{0.31,0.94,0.66}
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.00,0.00,0.00}
\node[rotate= 90.00,color=drawColor,anchor=base,inner sep=0pt, outer sep=0pt, scale=  1.00] at ( 1.592,31.059) {Mackenzie Net Sales};
\end{scope}
\begin{scope}
\path[clip] (  0.00,  0.00) rectangle (79.497,61.429);
\definecolor[named]{drawColor}{rgb}{0.13,0.76,0.43}
\definecolor[named]{fillColor}{rgb}{0.31,0.94,0.66}
\end{scope}
\end{tikzpicture}
}
        %\endpgfgraphicnamed

        \label{fig:graph2}
    \end{minipage}}
\subfloat[Graph 3]{
    \begin{minipage}[h]{0.5\linewidth}
        \centering\beginpgfgraphicnamed{graph3}
%        \input{graph3.tex}
        \endpgfgraphicnamed
        \label{fig:graph3}
    \end{minipage}}
\caption{Three Graphs}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

Please test whether this works for you, too. If it does, then try to modify this one until it doesn't work any more. What's the breaking change?