Subplot Spacing with subplots_adjust

subplots_adjust() controls the gap between panels in a multi-panel figure.

• hspace — vertical gap as a fraction of the mean row height. hspace=0.15 adds 15 % of the average row height as space between rows.

• wspace — horizontal gap as a fraction of the mean column width. wspace=0.10 adds 10 % of the average column width as space between columns.

Both values default to 0.0 (panels are flush with no gap).

The examples below compare default flush spacing against adjusted spacing on the same 2 × 2 grid.

import numpy as np
import anyplotlib as apl

rng = np.random.default_rng(42)
t   = np.linspace(0, 2 * np.pi, 512)

COLORS  = ["#4fc3f7", "#ff7043", "#aed581", "#ffd54f"]
LABELS  = ["α", "β", "γ", "δ"]
SIGNALS = [
    np.sin(t * (i + 1)) + rng.normal(scale=0.08, size=len(t))
    for i in range(4)
]


def _fill_grid(fig):
    """Add four 1-D spectra to a 2×2 Figure."""
    import anyplotlib as _apl
    gs = _apl.GridSpec(2, 2)
    positions = [(0, 0), (0, 1), (1, 0), (1, 1)]
    for idx, (r, c) in enumerate(positions):
        ax = fig.add_subplot(gs[r, c])
        ax.plot(SIGNALS[idx], color=COLORS[idx], label=LABELS[idx])


# ── 1. Default spacing (flush) ────────────────────────────────────────────────

Default spacing — panels flush

Without calling subplots_adjust the panels abut each other with no gap.

fig1 = apl.Figure(2, 2, figsize=(680, 480))
_fill_grid(fig1)

fig1  # Interactive

# ── 2. Vertical gap only (hspace) ────────────────────────────────────────────

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Vertical gap only — hspace=0.15

subplots_adjust(hspace=0.15) inserts a vertical gap equal to 15 % of the mean row height between the two rows.

fig2 = apl.Figure(2, 2, figsize=(680, 480))
_fill_grid(fig2)
fig2.subplots_adjust(hspace=0.15)

fig2  # Interactive

# ── 3. Horizontal gap only (wspace) ──────────────────────────────────────────

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Horizontal gap only — wspace=0.10

subplots_adjust(wspace=0.10) inserts a horizontal gap equal to 10 % of the mean column width between the two columns.

fig3 = apl.Figure(2, 2, figsize=(680, 480))
_fill_grid(fig3)
fig3.subplots_adjust(wspace=0.10)

fig3  # Interactive

# ── 4. Both gaps ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

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Both hspace and wspace

Combine both arguments to add space in both directions.

fig4 = apl.Figure(2, 2, figsize=(680, 480))
_fill_grid(fig4)
fig4.subplots_adjust(hspace=0.15, wspace=0.10)

fig4  # Interactive

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