R Graphics, 2nd Edition

Chapter 3

Customizing Traditional Graphics

Chapter preview

It is very often the case that a high-level plotting function does not produce exactly the final result that is desired. This chapter describes low-level traditional functions that are useful for controlling the fine details of a plot and for adding further output to a plot (e.g., adding descriptive labels).

In order to utilize these low-level functions effectively, this chapter also includes a description of the regions and coordinate systems that are used to locate the output from low-level functions. For example, there is a description of which function to use to draw text in the margins of a plot as opposed to drawing text in the data region (where the data symbols are plotted). ...