Hiding axis text in matplotlib plots

The no-nonsense guide to hiding axis text elegantly

Hide and seek with axis

Be it x-axis or y-axis, to make the labels invisible use these:

ax.xaxis.set_visible(False) # x-axis decided to play hide and seek.
ax.yaxis.set_visible(False) # y-axis joined the game.
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Voila, your x-axis and y-axis labels have vanished!

Tick marks - show or no-show?

Dealing with stubborn tick marks? Just do:

ax.xaxis.set_ticks([]) # x-axis tick marks decided to stay home today.
ax.yaxis.set_ticks([]) # y-axis tick marks just followed the lead.
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And your pesky tick marks are gone.

Grid lines - the silent spectators

Want to maintain the grid lines while hiding the text? Easy peasy:

ax.xaxis.set_ticklabels([]) # x-axis labels left us, but the grid lines decided to stay.
ax.yaxis.set_ticklabels([]) # y-axis labels and grid lines aren't attached at the hip, clearly.
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So, the labels are gone, but the grid lines aren't! Party continues.

Are labels important? Ask plt.xlabel and plt.ylabel

After all the changes, if you want to add a meaningful context, go ahead and add customized labels:

plt.xlabel('My Custom X-axis Label') # Nice to see you again, X!
plt.ylabel('My Custom Y-axis Label') # Y, you are always welcome.
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There, we invited the labels back but with a fresh attire!

The subplot structure

Do you have more than one plot? Keep cleanliness across all your subplots:

fig, axs = plt.subplots(4, 4) # Inviting 16 friends over
for ax in axs.flatten(): # Flatten them like a pancake! Just kidding
    ax.set_xticklabels([]) # Y'all need to leave
    ax.set_yticklabels([]) # You as well
    ax.set_xticks([]) # Can't have tick marks crashing the party
    ax.set_yticks([]) # Nope, none at all
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Overboarding the minimalism cruise

Forget minimal, let's go all out. Remove it all:

plt.axis('off') # Plot's got nothing on. At all! It's okay, it's decent!
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This code shuts off all axes, grid lines, labels, leaving your plot in its birthday suit.