First we’ll start with a chart using the default theme.
library(tidyverse)
library(ggtext)
p_bar <- ggplot(mtcars, aes(drat)) +
geom_histogram(bins = 5) +
labs(
x = 'Title of x',
y = 'Title of y',
title = 'Overall Title',
subtitle = 'This is the subtitle',
caption = 'May need a caption as well'
)
p_bar
I tried the different base themes and this was the closest to what I wanted.
p_bar + theme_bw()
Let’s try changing the font
p_bar <- p_bar +
theme_bw() %+replace%
theme(
# default font
text = element_text(family = "Fira Sans")
)
p_bar
Add some other layout changes to:
- Move the title and caption to align with the plot not the panel
- Put some extra room between the plot and the title/caption
- Make the text fields use
element_markdown - Right align the axis titles
- Remove the panel border
- Add in axis lines the same colour as the gridlines and change the tick marks to use the same colour.
p_bar <- p_bar +
theme(
# align title and caption to the plot not the panel
plot.title.position = 'plot',
plot.caption.position = 'plot',
# change the title and caption to markdown and move them futher from the plot
plot.title = element_markdown(
hjust = 0,
margin = margin(c(0, 0, 10, 0))
),
plot.subtitle = element_markdown(
hjust = 0,
margin = margin(c(0, 0, 15, 0))
),
plot.caption = element_markdown(
hjust = 1,
margin = margin(c(10, 0, 0, 0))
),
# move axis titles to the left/top and change them to markdown
axis.title = element_markdown(hjust = 1),
# allow the axis values to the markdown as well
axis.text = element_markdown(),
# remove the panel border
panel.border = element_blank(),
# put in the axis lines with a slightly thicker line than the gridlines
axis.line = element_line(colour = "grey92", size = rel(1.5)),
# make the tickmarks the same colour
axis.ticks = element_line(colour = "grey92")
)
p_bar
Let’s see what it looks like with facets.
p_bar <- p_bar +
facet_wrap(~as_factor(carb))
p_bar
I’ve left aligned the text in the facet and removed the box and border.
p_bar <- p_bar +
theme(
# facet strip text left aligned with extra space above
strip.text = element_markdown(hjust = 0, margin = margin(c(10, 0, 0, 0))),
# clear colour and fill for strip
strip.background = element_rect(colour = NA, fill = NA)
)
p_bar
Time to add some colour.
add_colour <- "#5F187FFF"
p_bar <- p_bar +
theme(
# colour the title
plot.title = element_markdown(
hjust = 0, margin = margin(c(0, 0, 10, 0)), colour = add_colour
),
# colour the strip text
strip.text = element_markdown(
hjust = 0, margin = margin(c(10, 0, 0, 0)), colour = add_colour
)
)
p_bar
Nearly there. I think I’ll made the gridlines dotted.
add_colour <- "#5F187FFF"
p_bar <- p_bar +
theme(
# dotted gridlines
panel.grid = element_line(linetype = 'dotted')
)
p_bar
Okay. Let’s save this as a theme with options to change out the highlight colour, font family and font size
theme_jo <- function(
add_colour = "#5F187FFF",
base_family = "Fira Sans",
x_grid_colour = "grey92",
y_grid_colour = "grey92",
...
) {
theme_bw(...) %+replace%
theme(
# default font
text = element_text(family = base_family),
# align title and caption to the plot not the panel
plot.title.position = 'plot',
plot.caption.position = 'plot',
# change the title and caption to markdown and move them further from the plot
plot.title = element_markdown(
hjust = 0,
margin = margin(c(0, 0, 10, 0)),
colour = add_colour
),
plot.subtitle = element_markdown(
hjust = 0,
margin = margin(c(0, 0, 15, 0))
),
plot.caption = element_markdown(
hjust = 1,
margin = margin(c(10, 0, 0, 0))
),
# move axis titles to the left/top and change them to markdown
axis.title = element_markdown(hjust = 1),
# allow the axis values to the markdown as well
axis.text = element_markdown(),
# remove the panel border
panel.border = element_blank(),
# put in the axis lines with a slightly thicker line than the gridlines
axis.line = element_line(colour = "grey92", size = rel(1.5)),
# make the tickmarks the same colour
axis.ticks = element_line(colour = "grey92"),
# facet strip text left aligned with extra space above
strip.text = element_markdown(
hjust = 0, margin = margin(c(10, 0, 0, 0)), colour = add_colour
),
# clear colour and fill for strip
strip.background = element_rect(colour = NA, fill = NA),
# dotted gridlines
panel.grid = element_line(linetype = 'dotted'),
# ability to use a different colour for the gridlines
panel.grid.major.x = element_line(colour = x_grid_colour),
panel.grid.major.y = element_line(colour = y_grid_colour)
)
}
And apply it to a new chart with a markdown change in the title.
ggplot(diamonds, aes(x=carat, y=price, color=clarity)) +
geom_point() +
labs(
title = '*Price* of **diamonds** for differing *carats*',
subtitle = 'The *clarity* is also a driver of *price*',
caption = 'Source: unknown'
) +
theme_jo()
And using different parameters.
ggplot(diamonds, aes(x=clarity, y=price)) +
geom_boxplot() +
labs(
title = '*Price* of **diamonds** for differing *carats*',
subtitle = 'This time its a boxplot',
caption = 'Source: unknown'
) +
theme_jo(
add_colour = '#FFA500',
base_family = 'sans',
y_grid_colour = '#FFA500',
x_grid_colour = 'white')
