Set cleanplots defaults for the session

One call sets up cleanplots for the rest of the session: it makes theme_cleanplots() the default theme, makes points and lines larger and thicker, and uses the cleanplots colors for every plot, so you don’t have to add scales by hand.

Usage

cleanplots_defaults(
  base_size = 12,
  point_size = 1.4,
  point_stroke = 0.7,
  line_width = 0.65,
  smooth_color = "#D50000"
)

Arguments

base_size

Base font size in points passed to theme_cleanplots() (default: 12).

point_size

Default size for geom_point() markers (default: 1.4). The midpoint dot of geom_pointrange() (used in coefficient plots) is sized to match.

point_stroke

Default outline thickness for markers, which controls how visible the hollow shapes are (default: 0.7; ggplot2’s own default is 0.5).

line_width

Default line width for geom_line(), geom_path(), geom_step(), geom_density(), geom_function(), and geom_smooth() (default: 0.65; ggplot2’s own default is 0.5). Error bars, line ranges, and point ranges are set to 80% of this value. Reference lines (geom_hline(), geom_vline(), geom_abline()) are deliberately left thin and unobtrusive.

smooth_color

Default line color for geom_smooth() (default: cleanplots red, "#D50000").

Value

Invisibly returns NULL; called for its side effects.

Details

After calling cleanplots_defaults():

  • All plots use theme_cleanplots() unless another theme is added.

  • geom_point() draws larger markers with a heavier outline (important for the hollow marker shapes).

  • geom_line() and friends draw thicker lines so colors are visible.

  • geom_smooth() fit lines default to cleanplots red with a light gray confidence band (instead of ggplot2’s blue).

  • Discrete color aesthetics default to the main cleanplots palette, and discrete fill aesthetics default to the softer bar palette (as in Stata, where bars and areas automatically use the softer colors). Add a scale explicitly to override, e.g. scale_fill_cleanplots(palette = "default").

These are session-wide settings that affect all subsequent ggplot2 plots. To undo them, restart R or call ggplot2::theme_set(ggplot2::theme_gray()), ggplot2::update_geom_defaults(), and options(ggplot2.discrete.colour = NULL, ggplot2.discrete.fill = NULL).

Examples

library(ggplot2)
cleanplots_defaults()

# No scales or theme needed -- everything is applied by default
ggplot(iris, aes(Sepal.Length, Sepal.Width, color = Species)) +
  geom_point()

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