How can I enlarge the legend box-size?

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Hi,
I am plotting two curves and defining their parameters using the legend. The code is as follows
hleg1 = legend ( ['$ n/n_c = $' num2str(den1)], ['$ n/n_c = $' num2str(den2)] );
set(hleg1,'Interpreter','latex')
set(gca,'fontsize',15)
My problem is that as soon as I change the font size to 15 the box around the legends doesn't expand automatically and I have legends of the curves going outside the legend box. Can anybody suggest something?

Accepted Answer

Walter Roberson
Walter Roberson on 14 Feb 2013
legend() is implemented by creating a new axis, the handle of which is returned. You should be setting Interpreter and fontsize for the text entries rather than the axis.
[hleg1, hobj1] = legend( ...);
textobj = findobj(hobj1, 'type', 'text');
set(textobj, 'Interpreter', 'latex', 'fontsize', 15);
Then if you find you need to, set() the Position property of hleg1.
  2 Comments
Naveen
Naveen on 14 Feb 2013
Thanks! It seems to work and it's a bit faster than the previous method I was trying. I don't know why? However I have another question. I have two legends and I could make it work as follows
[hobj1 hobj2] = legend ( ['$ n/n_c = $' num2str(den1)], ['$ n/n_c = $' num2str(den2)] );
textobj1 = findobj( hobj1,'type', 'text' );
set( textobj1, 'Interpreter', 'latex', 'fontsize', 15 );
textobj2 = findobj(hobj2, 'type', 'text');
set(textobj2, 'Interpreter', 'latex', 'fontsize', 15);
set(gca,'fontsize',15)
Is there any way that I don't have to define two textobj1 and textobj2 and set property for each one? I tried naively in the same way as I defined [hobj1 hobj2] but that didn't work.
Walter Roberson
Walter Roberson on 15 Feb 2013
You have a legend with two entries. The second value returned by legend() is the handles to the objects that went up to make the legend, including the text objects. The findobj() reduces the list down to just the text objects. The set() then affects all of those text objects. So already this code works for legends with multiple entries.

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More Answers (2)

Azzi Abdelmalek
Azzi Abdelmalek on 14 Feb 2013
Edited: Azzi Abdelmalek on 14 Feb 2013
set(hleg1,'position',[0 0 0.2 0.2])
In general
set(hleg1,'position',[x0 y0 width height])
  2 Comments
Naveen
Naveen on 15 Feb 2013
Thanks a lot! Your methods is really robust, though I had to experiment with coordinates a bit, but it works beautifully now!
Marya Sadki
Marya Sadki on 15 Feb 2022
Thanks, that what i search for.

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Max Riedel
Max Riedel on 6 Apr 2016
A simple workaround is to put additional spacing after the text.
E.g., by using \quad:
hleg1 = legend ( ['$ n/n_c = $' num2str(den1) '$\quad$'], ['$ n/n_c = $' num2str(den2) '$\quad$'] );

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