How to offset only one xtick using matplotlib

Question

I have a plot where I need to specify some ticks but they are overlapping. An easy way to solve my problem would be by adding spaces at the end of the string defining my new ticks_label. However, it seems that all spaces are ignored...

In the following code an illustration with what I tried but doesn't work.

Any Idea ?

####### Solution Below #######

import numpy as np
import matplotlib as mpl
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

rc_fonts = {
   'text.usetex': True,
   'font.size': 20,
   'font.family': 'serif',
   'font.serif': 'cm'
}
mpl.rcParams.update(rc_fonts)

x = np.linspace(0, 1, 100, endpoint=True)
y = x**2

labels = ['0',r'$\varepsilon$', '1']
tested_labels1 = ['0',r'$\varepsilon$   ', '1']
tested_labels2 = ['0',r'$\varepsilon$\ \ \ \qquad', '1']
tested_labels3 = ['0',r'$\varepsilon\qquad$   ', '1']
x_labels = [0, 0.03, 1]

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot(x, y)
ax.set_yticks(x_labels, labels)
# Not Working the way I want => spaces are ignored
#ax.set_yticks(x_labels, tested_labels1)
#ax.set_yticks(x_labels, tested_labels2)
#ax.set_yticks(x_labels, tested_labels3)

plt.show()

####### Solution:

Thanks to Matt Pitkin I found a way. Clearly not as easy as just adding spaces, but working. Here the answer:

import numpy as np
import matplotlib as mpl
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

rc_fonts = {
    'text.usetex': True,
    'font.size': 20,
    'font.family': 'serif',
    'font.serif': 'cm'
}
mpl.rcParams.update(rc_fonts)

x = np.linspace(0, 1, 100, endpoint=True)
y = x**2

labels = ['0',r'$\varepsilon$', '1']
x_labels = [0, 0.03, 1]

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot(x, y)
ax.set_yticks(x_labels, labels)

dx = -0.15; dy = 0. 
offset = mpl.transforms.ScaledTranslation(dx, dy, fig.dpi_scale_trans)
ax.yaxis.get_majorticklabels()[1].set_transform(ax.yaxis.get_majorticklabels()[1].get_transform() + offset)

plt.show()

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 03 '23 at 16:52

Thanks to Matt Pitkin I found a way. Clearly not as easy as just adding spaces, but working. Here the answer:

import numpy as np
import matplotlib as mpl
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

rc_fonts = {
    'text.usetex': True,
    'font.size': 20,
    'font.family': 'serif',
    'font.serif': 'cm'
}
mpl.rcParams.update(rc_fonts)

x = np.linspace(0, 1, 100, endpoint=True)
y = x**2

labels = ['0',r'$\varepsilon$', '1']
x_labels = [0, 0.03, 1]

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot(x, y)
ax.set_yticks(x_labels, labels)

dx = -0.15; dy = 0. 
offset = mpl.transforms.ScaledTranslation(dx, dy, fig.dpi_scale_trans)
ax.yaxis.get_majorticklabels()[1].set_transform(ax.yaxis.get_majorticklabels()[1].get_transform() + offset)

plt.show()

How to offset only one xtick using matplotlib

1 Answers1