How can I draw an empty plot?

Question

How can I draw an empty plot, so I can print it and draw the input manually?

I just want the X and Y axes.

I want a time on the X-axis (07:00-22:00) and an Integer (0-10) on the Y-axis, but all I can find on the internet are explanations for diagrams with known values.

What have you tried? When you ask a question, please post the code you've tried so that people don't have to start from scratch. Sometimes people are very nice (as in this case) and draw the whole thing from scratch for you, but it is much better if that isn't necessary. Posting some code not only helps helpers, it encourages helpers and it helps to clarify your question, making it more likely that answers will be of real use to you. — cfr, Nov 15 '15 at 02:10
Related: http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/222882/drawing-minimal-xy-axis — MattAllegro, Nov 15 '15 at 15:43

Torbjørn T. · Accepted Answer · 2015-11-15T09:16:26.100

Here is one option with pgfplots. I had to add some form of plot to make the axis customizations work, so I added one that isn't displayed at all.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[
  width=0.8\linewidth,
  axis lines=middle,
  grid,
  ymin=0,
  ymax=11,
  ytick={0,...,10},
  xmin=6,
  xmax=23,
  xtick={7,...,22},
  xticklabel={\pgfmathprintnumber{\tick}:00},
  xticklabel style={rotate=45,anchor=north east}]

\addplot[draw=none] coordinates {(1,1)};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

pgfplots also has the possibility of using dates as coordinates, but setting the ticks become a bit more verbose I think, e.g.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\usepgfplotslibrary{dateplot}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
\begin{axis}[
  width=0.8\linewidth,
  grid,
  ymin=0,
  ymax=11,
  ytick={0,...,10},
  date coordinates in=x,
  date ZERO=2015-01-01,
  xmin=2015-01-01 06:00,
  xmax=2015-01-01 23:00,
  xticklabel=\hour:\minute,
  xticklabel style={rotate=45,anchor=north east},
  xtick={
   2015-01-01 07:00,
   2015-01-01 08:30,
   2015-01-01 10:00,
   2015-01-01 11:30,
   2015-01-01 13:00,
   2015-01-01 14:30,
   2015-01-01 16:00,
   2015-01-01 17:30,
   2015-01-01 19:00,
   2015-01-01 20:30,
   2015-01-01 22:00
  }
]
\addplot[draw=none] coordinates {(2015-01-01 12:00,1)};
\end{axis}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Thank you very much, as I understand you just drew a point outsite the plot to make it work, is that right? Can I somehow add those "diagramarrows" at the end of the axis? — bale, Nov 15 '15 at 08:51
Oh ok, that with the not drawn point is answered by your first sentence (I got confused by "plot"), I'm sorry. — bale, Nov 15 '15 at 08:57
@bale In the first example the point is actually outside the axis. In the second it is inside, but it's not drawn because of draw=none. As for the arrows, I think axis lines=middle added to the axis options will do what you're after. Will update the first example. — Torbjørn T., Nov 15 '15 at 09:15

How can I draw an empty plot?

1 Answers1