# Format color scale ticks in contourf (Plots.jl)

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/format-color-scale-ticks-in-contourf-plots-jl/56494>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** plotting, plots\
**Created:** [March 4, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/format-color-scale-ticks-in-contourf-plots-jl/56494 "2021-03-04T18:36:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![churli](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/churli/32/22048_2.png) [@churli](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/churli)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 6:36pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/format-color-scale-ticks-in-contourf-plots-jl/56494/1 "2021-03-04T18:36:07Z")

</div>

In `Plots.jl` it is possible to specify a `formatter` axis attribute to customize the ticks format.  
I.e. to show the ticks in scientific notation, one can pass `formatter=:scientific`.  
It is also possible to format one single axis by passing, e.g. `xformatter=...`.

I am trying to format the color scale in in `contourf(...)` plots but I couldn’t find any way to make it work.  
E.g. if I try:

```julia
using Plots; pyplot()
contourf(rand(50,10), formatter=:scientific)

```

I get scientific notation on both the x/y-axes but **not** on the color scale.  
I even tried:

```julia
contourf(rand(50,10), zformatter=:scientific)
contourf(rand(50,10), cformatter=:scientific)

```

but the ticks for the color scale remain unaffected.

Is it possible to pass a formatter for the color scale? If so, how?

Thanks 🙂