Plant Physiology 2011

How to put 4 graphs on one page using SigmaPlot—2 ways—Use stacked graphs for Rice

Stacked graphs (shown in your course manual for this lab—very slick)

  • put all your data in columns on one worksheet
  • make one graph as usual
  • you can adjust the ticks and scales, but don’t put labels on yet
  • right click on a blank space inside your graph to select it
  • Object Properties/Size and Position tab
  • Set the number
  • top=1
  • left=1.75
  • width=5
  • height=2.25
  • do all your ticks, labeling and other format (zoom in so you can see)
  • write down the scale (range) you are using for the X axis
  • go to Graph/Graph Properties/Axes/Labels
  • uncheck axis title and major tick labels
  • make your second graph
  • do all the things you did with your first graph, except
  • X axis range (scale) set to same as first graph (click on axis line)
  • top=3.25 (that’s the 1 inch margin plus 2.25 for the first graph)
  • delete title at top
  • the tick marks should all line up where the two graphs meet
  • make your third graph, and handle it exactly like the second, except
  • top=5.5
  • make your fourth graph, and handle it exactly like the second, except
  • top=7.75
  • don’t get rid of axis title and tick labels
  • now you can adjust Y axes so numbers don’t collide on the right
  • time to put the labels in, now that the positions are fixed
  • include your name and the grand title at the top (one title for all graphs together)

Want to save lots of time? You can use the first graphs (deficiency) as a template, and just stuff new data in to get the whole second set of graphs (the Al effects).

Here’s how:

  • Put all your data (both sets of graphs) on the first worksheet, then make the graphs as above.
  • On the Notebook panel (left), right click on section 1 (that’s what you made before) and copy
  • Then paste this section into the Notebook image to get a copy of Section 1.
  • Rename this Section 2 (or Aluminum, or toxicity…or whatever) by right clicking and Rename.
  • Open the new section, go into each graph, and use Right Click/Graph Properties/Plots/Graph Wizard) to pick new columns of data.
  • Change the title and labels as needed; everything else will be miraculously lined up.

Four separate graphs (square), alternative when X axes aren’t the same

  • put all your data in columns on one worksheet
  • make one graph as usual
  • you can adjust the ticks and scales, but don’t put labels on yet
  • Format/Arrange Graphs/4 up, 3”x3”/Apply/Close will put the graph in the upper left
  • Graph/Create Graph to make second graph
  • you can adjust the ticks and scales, but don’t put labels on yet
  • Format/Arrange… as above to get 2 graphs side by side
  • make 3rd & 4th graphs and arrange them the same way
  • zoom in and do the appropriate labeling
  • one page with four graphs for the deficiency experiment, another for the dose response (Al)