# How to improve Plots.jl default appearance

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-improve-plots-jl-default-appearance/7441>\
**Category:** General Usage\
**Tags:** plots\
**Created:** [November 30, 2017, 12:23pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-improve-plots-jl-default-appearance/7441 "2017-11-30T12:23:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tamas\_Papp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/tamas_papp/32/25949_2.png) [@Tamas\_Papp](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/Tamas_Papp)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2017, 12:23pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-improve-plots-jl-default-appearance/7441/1 "2017-11-30T12:23:54Z")

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from [How to improve Plots.jl's look](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/how-to-improve-plots-jls-look/7409)

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> I used Plots for some time, and am quiet unsatisfied with the figure quality. The tutorial38 gives us some example, which shows its simplicity. However, none of those figures are publication-quality. I reproduced these plots using PyPlot.jl and GR.jl, they look much better. Therefore, the poor quality of figure made by Plots is not caused by the backend. What makes Plot.jl so ugly? I know some recipes are allowed in Plots.jl, which might make the figure more beautiful. I tested some of these recipes, and was still unsatisfied. Could the developer offer a gallery of beautiful figures produced by Plots.jl (maybe in some notebooks)? It is very inspiring to see beautiful figures, especially for those who don’t know what plotting package to use.

I find the `pgfplots()` backend very nice. YMMV.

However, “ugly” is a subjective term, and the discussion would be very much helped by

1. providing a self-contained minimal working example that demonstrates the issue,

2. various plots (via `Plots.jl`, also directly),

3. pointing out the differences you consider “ugly”.

Also, opening an issue for `Plots.jl` may be a better place for the discussion, so that it does not get lost.

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