Grid of subfigures with one caption per row on the left

Question

I could achieve the following using figure and table:

And using some multiline alignment I can align the "captions" (which is actually text) to the center:

However I'd like to be able to refer to each row using \ref, therefore I need each row to be a subfigure, with the caption on the left, without the word "Figure".
How can it be achieved?

This is the code I used so far, using a table:

\begin{figure}[ht]
\centering
\par%
\begin{tabular}{ccc}
& RGB & NIR\\
(a) & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{whatever.jpg} & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{whatever.jpg}\\
(b) & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{whatever.jpg} & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{whatever.jpg}\\
(c) & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{whatever.jpg} & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{whatever.jpg}\\
(d) & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{whatever.jpg} & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{whatever.jpg}\\
\end{tabular}
\caption{some caption}.}%
\label{fig:fig1}%
\end{figure}

I also managed to do a figure of subfigures, but the captions appeared in the bottom.

Please show the code you've tried so far. – Mico Mar 07 '21 at 12:01 — Mico, Mar 07 '21 at 12:01

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 07 '21 at 13:14

The following sample code should get you started.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{array,booktabs}
\newcolumntype{M}[1]{>{\centering\arraybackslash}m{#1}} % w/ horizontal centering
\usepackage{subcaption} % for 'subfigure' environment
\usepackage[demo]{graphicx}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}[ht!]
\setlength\tabcolsep{3pt} % default: 6pt
\centering
\begin{tabular}{@{} r M{0.3\linewidth} M{0.3\linewidth} @{}}
& RGB & NIR\
\begin{subfigure}{0.05\linewidth} \caption{}\label{subfig:a} \end{subfigure} 
  & \includegraphics[width=\hsize]{whatever.jpg} 
  & \includegraphics[width=\hsize]{whatever.jpg}\ \addlinespace
\begin{subfigure}{0.05\linewidth} \caption{}\label{subfig:b} \end{subfigure} 
  & \includegraphics[width=\hsize]{whatever.jpg}

  & \includegraphics[width=\hsize]{whatever.jpg}\ \addlinespace
\begin{subfigure}{0.05\linewidth} \caption{}\label{subfig:c} \end{subfigure} 
  & \includegraphics[width=\hsize]{whatever.jpg} 
  & \includegraphics[width=\hsize]{whatever.jpg}\ \addlinespace
\begin{subfigure}{0.05\linewidth} \caption{}\label{subfig:d} \end{subfigure} 
  & \includegraphics[width=\hsize]{whatever.jpg} 
  & \includegraphics[width=\hsize]{whatever.jpg}\
\end{tabular}
\caption{Four rows of graphs}
\label{fig:fig1}
\end{figure}
\noindent
Cross-references to subfigures \ref{subfig:a} and \ref{subfig:d}.
\end{document}

To see if I understood your answer (not OP): yo have created a table with three columns, in which the first column has a minimal width and whose only function is to "create" the (a), (b)... as well as the label to refer to it. Is that it? It's a very clever solution. — Jes, Mar 07 '21 at 14:33
@Jes - That's exactly right. If I had started from scratch, I might have pursued a different approach. However, I thought it would be useful to build on the the OP's initial code. — Mico, Mar 07 '21 at 15:01

John Kormylo · Answer 2 · 2021-03-07T17:13:23.000

The original idea was to use \subcaption in the first column, but its baseline is at the top making vertical alignment difficult. And yes, you can use \label with \tabcaption.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{subcaption}% or \newcounter{subfigure}[figure]
\usepackage{duckuments}% just for fun
\usepackage{array}
\newcolumntype{v}{>{\sbox0\bgroup}c<{\egroup\raisebox{\dimexpr 0.5\dp0-0.5\ht0}%
 [\dimexpr 0.5\ht0-0.5\dp0+1pt][\dimexpr 0.5\ht0-0.5\dp0+1pt]{\usebox0}}}
\newcommand{\tabcaption}{\refstepcounter{subfigure}(\thesubfigure)}
\begin{document}
\begin{figure}[ht]
\centering
\begin{tabular}{vvv}
& RGB & NIR\
\tabcaption & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{example-image-duck}
            & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{example-image-duck}\
\tabcaption & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{example-image-duck}
            & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{example-image-duck}\
\tabcaption & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{example-image-duck}
            & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{example-image-duck}\
\tabcaption & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{example-image-duck}
            & \includegraphics[width=.3\linewidth]{example-image-duck}
\end{tabular}
\caption{some caption}% note: \caption begins and ends with a \par
\label{fig:fig1}
\end{figure}
\end{document}

score 4 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 07 '21 at 17:38

4

With use of the floatrow and subfig packages:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{floatrow}
\usepackage[label font=bf, labelformat=simple]{subfig}
\floatsetup[figure]{style=plain,subcapbesideposition=center}
\begin{document}
%---------------------------------------------------------------%
    \begin{figure}
    \centering
\setkeys{Gin}{width=0.45\textwidth}
    \quad\parbox{0.45\linewidth}{\hfil RGB} \parbox{0.45\linewidth}{\hfil NIR}
\smallskip 

\sidesubfloat[\label{fig:a}]%
    {\includegraphics{example-image-duck}
        \hfil
     \includegraphics{example-image-duck}
    }
\medskip
\sidesubfloat[\label{fig:b}]%
    {\includegraphics{example-image-duck}
        \hfil
     \includegraphics{example-image-duck}
    }
\medskip
\sidesubfloat[\label{fig:b}]%
    {\includegraphics{example-image-duck}
        \hfil
     \includegraphics{example-image-duck}
    }
    \caption{main caption}
\label{fig:myfigure}
    \end{figure}
\end{document}

answered Mar 07 '21 at 17:38

Zarko

296,517

What if I wanted to add text at the bottom of each of the duck figures? I tried including the includegraphics inside the subfloat, but this creates and moves the counter. – user3236841 Sep 04 '22 at 14:19
did you mean with your solution? I do not see a table here. However, it works with John Kormylo's solution. – user3236841 Sep 04 '22 at 14:28
@user3236841, in image insert (below row of images in \sidesubfloat) rows of \parboxes with desired texts. – Zarko Sep 04 '22 at 14:33
using \parbox, how do I center each text under each duck? – user3236841 Sep 04 '22 at 14:40
@user3236841, on the same way as is done in the first "row" with \parboxses. – Zarko Sep 04 '22 at 17:08

Grid of subfigures with one caption per row on the left

3 Answers3

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