Documentation>MATLAB API>PLOTOP - vl_printsize

VL_PRINTSIZE(R) adjusts the PaperPosition property of the current figure to make the figure paper width equal to R times the width of a 'uslsetter' page, while preserving the aspect ratio of the figure. Then, it sets the PaperSize property to match tightly the size of the figure.

VL_PRINTSIZE(FIG,R) operates on the specified figure FIG. The function accepts the following optional arguments:

AspectRatio []

  Change the figure aspect ratio (width/height) to the specified value.

Reference 'horizontal'

  If set to 'horizontal', VL_PRINTSIZE(R) makes the width of the figure equal to a fraction R of the width of the page. If set to 'vertical', the height is used instead.

PaperType 'usletter'

  Set the type of the reference page to the specified type. Any of the paper types supported by MATLAB can be used (see PRINT()).

Margin 0

  If greater than zero, VL_PRINTSIZE(R) leaves the specified margin around the figure rather than fitting the paper size tightly around it. The margin is expressed as a fraction of the figure paper width (or height if Reference is set to 'vertical').

PRINTING FIGURES IN MATLAB

The standard procedure to include a MATLAB figure in a publication consists in printing the figure to an EPS or PDF file (by using the PRINT() function) and then rescaling it to the desired size in the publication. PDF printing has the additional inconvenience that large white margins are generated, and requires cropping the figure too.

Unfortunately, rescalign a figure in this manner has the usually unwanted effect of rescaling elements of the graphics such as font sizes and line thicknesses. For example, a font which is 12pt in the original MATLAB figure may become too large or too small after rescaling.

The `proper' way of printing a figure is to specify its desired size on paper before calling the PRINT() function. VL_PRINTSIZE() helps doing so.

Margins are an additional nuances. When printing to certain formats such as PDF, MATLAB prints in fact entire page (e.g. a whole US Letter sheet), resulting in wide white margin all around the figure. VL_PRINTSIZE() alleviates this problem by setting the paper size to match the figure size tightly. This does not eliminate margins completely, especially if the figure has multiple subplots, but it is certainly a large improvement.

See also: VL_HELP().