Graphics

Default Settings and How to Change Them

If you have not changed the default print and export settings, MATLAB prints or exports the figure:

• 8-by-6 inches with no window frame
• Centered on portrait format 8.5-by-11 inch paper if available
• Using white for the figure and axes background color
• With the ticks and limits of the axes scaled to accommodate the printed size

Setting Defaults for a Figure

In general, to change the property settings for a specific figure, follow the instructions given in the section, Changing a Figure's Settings.

Any settings you change with the Page Setup, Print, and Printing Options dialog boxes, or with the set function are saved with the figure and affect each printing of the figure until you change the settings again.

The settings you change with the Figure Copy Template Preferences and Copy Options Preferences panels alter the figure as it displays on the screen.

Setting Defaults for the Session

MATLAB enables you to set the session defaults for figure properties. Set the session default for a property using the syntax

• set(0, 'DefaultFigurepropertyname', 'value')
  

where propertyname is one of the named figure properties. This example sets the paper orientation for all subsequent print operations in the current MATLAB session.

• set(0, 'DefaultFigurePaperOrientation', 'landscape')
  

The Figure Properties reference page contains a complete list of the properties.

Setting Defaults Across Sessions

MATLAB enables you to set the session-to-session defaults for figure properties, the print driver, and the print function.

Print Device and Print Command.   Set the default print driver and the default print command in your printopt.m file. This file contains instructions for changing these settings and for displaying the current defaults. Open printopt.m in your editor by typing the command

• edit printopt
  

Scroll down about 40 lines until you come to this comment line and make your changes after this line.

• %---> Put your own changes to the defaults here (if needed)
  

For example, to change the default driver, first find the line that sets dev, and then replace the text string with an appropriate value. So, to set the default driver to HP LaserJet III, modify the line to read,

• dev = '-dljet3';
  

For the full list of values for dev, see the Drivers section of the print reference page.

Note    If you set dev to be a graphics format, such as -djpeg, MATLAB exports the figure rather than printing it.

Figure Properties.   Set the session-to-session default for a property by including this command in your startup.m file:

• set(0, 'DefaultFigurepropertyname', 'value')
  

where propertyname is one of the named figure properties. For example,

• set(0, 'DefaultFigureInvertHardcopy', 'off')
  

keeps the figure background in the screen color.

This is the same command you use to change a session default, except that it executes automatically every time MATLAB is invoked.

Note    Arguments specified with the print command override properties set using MATLAB commands or the Page Setup dialog box, which in turn override any MATLAB default settings specified in printopt.m or startup.m.

Specifying Parameters and Options

How to Print or Export