Mastering Font Consistency: How to Export Same Font for Both Base and ggplot2 Plots in R

Introduction

As an R enthusiast, you’ve probably encountered the frustration of dealing with inconsistent fonts in your plots. You spend hours crafting the perfect visualizations, only to have the font styles clash between your base and ggplot2 plots. The horror! But fear not, dear reader, for we’re about to embark on a journey to conquer this pesky problem once and for all.

Why Font Consistency Matters

In scientific communication, consistency is key. When your plots have different font styles, it can be distracting and undermine the credibility of your work. Moreover, inconsistent fonts can make your plots look amateurish, which is the last thing you want when presenting to clients, colleagues, or academic peers.

Default Font Settings in R

In R, the default font settings for base and ggplot2 plots are different. Base plots use the system’s default font, which is usually a serif font like Times New Roman. On the other hand, ggplot2 plots use the theme’s default font, which is typically a sans-serif font like Arial or Helvetica.

Base Plot Font Settings

To check the default font settings for base plots, you can use the following code:

par("font")

This will output the current font family, font face, and font size for your base plots. Typically, the font family will be a serif font like “serif” or “Times New Roman”.

ggplot2 Font Settings

To check the default font settings for ggplot2 plots, you can use the following code:

theme_get()["text"]

This will output the current font family, font face, and font size for your ggplot2 plots. Typically, the font family will be a sans-serif font like “Arial” or “Helvetica”.

Solutions for Achieving Font Consistency

Now that we’ve established the problem, let’s explore the solutions for achieving font consistency between base and ggplot2 plots. We’ll cover three main approaches:

1. Using the par() function for base plots
2. Using the theme() function for ggplot2 plots
3. Using the cairo_pdf() function for PDF output

Approach 1: Using par() for Base Plots

To set a consistent font for base plots, you can use the par() function with the font argument. For example, to set the font to Arial:

par(font = "Arial")

This will set the font family to Arial for all subsequent base plots. Note that you’ll need to execute this code before creating your plots.

Approach 2: Using theme() for ggplot2 Plots

To set a consistent font for ggplot2 plots, you can use the theme() function with the text element. For example, to set the font family to Arial:

theme_set(theme(text = element_text(family = "Arial"))) 

This will set the font family to Arial for all subsequent ggplot2 plots. Note that you’ll need to execute this code before creating your plots.

Approach 3: Using cairo_pdf() for PDF Output

If you’re exporting your plots to PDF files, you can use the cairo_pdf() function to achieve font consistency. This function allows you to specify the font family and other font settings for your PDF output.

cairo_pdf("my_plot.pdf", family = "Arial")
plot(x, y)
dev.off()

This will export your plot to a PDF file with the font family set to Arial.

Best Practices for Font Consistency

To ensure font consistency across all your plots, follow these best practices:

• Choose a single font family for all your plots (e.g., Arial, Helvetica, or Times New Roman).
• Set the font family using the par() function for base plots and the theme() function for ggplot2 plots.
• Use the cairo_pdf() function for PDF output to ensure font consistency in exported files.
• Use font sizes consistently throughout your plots (e.g., 12 points for labels, 14 points for titles).
• Avoid mixing serif and sans-serif fonts in the same plot.

Conclusion

Mastering font consistency is a crucial aspect of creating professional-looking plots in R. By following the approaches and best practices outlined in this article, you’ll be able to export same font for both base and ggplot2 plots, ensuring a polished and cohesive visual representation of your data.

Approach	Description	Example Code
Using par()		par(font = "Arial")
Using theme()		theme_set(theme(text = element_text(family = "Arial")))
Using cairo_pdf()		cairo_pdf("my_plot.pdf", family = "Arial")

Remember, consistency is key to creating visually appealing plots that communicate your data effectively. By implementing these strategies, you’ll elevate your data visualization game and make a lasting impression on your audience.

Further Reading

If you’re interested in exploring more advanced font customization options in R, we recommend checking out the following resources:

• R Graphics by Paul Murrell (Chapter 5: Text)
• The R Graphics Cookbook by Winston Chang (Chapter 3: Customizing Text)
• The ggplot2 documentation (theme elements and text rendering)

Happy plotting, and may the fonts be ever in your favor!

Frequently Asked Question

Get ready to master the art of font exportation for your R plots!