Matplotlib.axes.Axes.margins() in Python

Last Updated : 28 Apr, 2025

Matplotlib is a library in Python and it is numerical - mathematical extension for NumPy library. The Axes Class contains most of the figure elements: Axis, Tick, Line2D, Text, Polygon, etc., and sets the coordinate system. And the instances of Axes supports callbacks through a callbacks attribute.

matplotlib.axes.Axes.margins() Function

The Axes.margins() function in axes module of matplotlib library is used to set or retrieve autoscaling margins.

Syntax: Axes.margins(self, *margins, x=None, y=None, tight=True)
Parameters: This method accepts the following parameters.

*margins: This parameter is used to specify both margins of the x-axis and y-axis limits.
x, y: These parameter is used to specific margin values for the x-axis and y-axis, respectively.
tight : This parameter is passed to autoscale_view(), which is executed after a margin is changed.

Return value: The following values are returned by this method.

xmargin
ymargin

Below examples illustrate the matplotlib.axes.Axes.margins() function in matplotlib.axes:
Example 1:

Python3

# Implementation of matplotlib function  
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib.widgets import Slider, Button, RadioButtons

fig, (ax, ax1) = plt.subplots(1, 2)
plt.subplots_adjust(bottom = 0.25)
t = np.arange(0.0, 1.0, 0.001)
a0 = 5
f0 = 3
delta_f = 5.0
s = a0 * np.sin(2 * np.pi * f0 * t)
ax.plot(t, s, lw = 2, color = 'green')

ax1.plot(t, s, lw = 2, color = 'green')
ax1.margins(0.5)

ax.set_title("Without margin() Function")
ax1.set_title("With margin value = 0")

fig.suptitle('matplotlib.axes.Axes.margins() function \
Example\n', fontweight ="bold")
fig.canvas.draw()
plt.show()

Output:

Example 2:

Python3

# Implementation of matplotlib function  
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

t = np.arange(0.0, 3.0, 0.01)
t1 = np.exp(-t) * np.cos(2 * np.pi * t)

fig, [ax1, ax2, ax3] = plt.subplots(nrows = 3)
ax1.plot(t, t1, color ="green")
ax1.text(1.1, 0.65, 'Original window')

ax2.margins(2, 2)
ax2.plot(t, t1, color ="green")
ax2.text(0, 2.0, 'Zoomed out')

ax3.margins(x = 0, y =-0.25)
ax3.plot(t, t1, color ="green")
ax3.text(1.2, 0.35, 'Zoomed in')

fig.suptitle('matplotlib.axes.Axes.margins() function\
 Example\n', fontweight ="bold")
fig.canvas.draw()
plt.show()