The size command scales the displayed size of the plot.
Syntax:
set size {{no}square | ratio <r> | noratio} {<xscale>,<yscale>} show size
The <xscale> and <yscale> values are the scaling factors for the size of the plot, which includes the graph and the margins.
`ratio` causes `gnuplot` to try to create a graph with an aspect ratio of <r> (the ratio of the y-axis length to the x-axis length) within the portion of the plot specified by <xscale> and <yscale>.
The meaning of a negative value for <r> is different. If <r>=-1, gnuplot tries to set the scales so that the unit has the same length on both the x and y axes (suitable for geographical data, for instance). If <r>=-2, the unit on y has twice the length of the unit on x, and so on.
The success of `gnuplot` in producing the requested aspect ratio depends on the terminal selected. The graph area will be the largest rectangle of aspect ratio <r> that will fit into the specified portion of the output (leaving adequate margins, of course).
`square` is a synonym for `ratio 1`.
Both `noratio` and `nosquare` return the graph to the default aspect ratio of the terminal, but do not return <xscale> or <yscale> to their default values (1.0).
`ratio` and `square` have no effect on 3-d plots.
size is relative to the default size, which differs from terminal to terminal. Since `gnuplot` fills as much of the available plotting area as possible by default, it is safer to use size to decrease the size of a plot than to increase it. See terminal for the default sizes.
On some terminals, changing the size of the plot will result in text being misplaced.
Examples:
To set the size to normal size use:
set size 1,1
To make the graph half size and square use:
set size square 0.5,0.5
To make the graph twice as high as wide use:
set size ratio 2
See also airfoil demo.