adjust_spines.py

# http://matplotlib.org/examples/pylab_examples/spine_placement_demo.html
def adjust_spines(ax,spines, offset=10):
    for loc, spine in ax.spines.items():
        if loc in spines:
            spine.set_position(('outward', offset)) # outward
            # by 10 points
            #spine.set_smart_bounds(True)
        else:
            spine.set_color('none') # don't
            # draw spine

        # turn off ticks where there
        # is no spine
        if 'left' in spines:
            ax.yaxis.set_tick_params(length=5)
            ax.yaxis.set_tick_params(direction='out')
            ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('left')
            ax.yaxis.set_label_position('left')
        elif 'right' in spines:
            ax.yaxis.set_tick_params(length=5)
            ax.yaxis.set_tick_params(direction='out')
            ax.yaxis.set_ticks_position('right')
            ax.yaxis.set_label_position('right')
        else:
            # no yaxis ticks
            ax.yaxis.set_ticks([])

        if 'bottom' in spines:
            ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('bottom')
            ax.xaxis.set_tick_params(length=5)
            ax.xaxis.set_tick_params(direction='out')
            ax.xaxis.set_label_position('bottom')
        elif 'top' in spines:
            ax.xaxis.set_ticks_position('top')
            ax.xaxis.set_tick_params(length=5)
            ax.xaxis.set_tick_params(direction='out')
            ax.xaxis.set_label_position('top')
        else:
            # no xaxis
            # ticks
            ax.xaxis.set_ticks([])


if __name__ == "__main__":
    import numpy as np            
    x = np.random.random(100)
    fig = plt.figure(100)
    fig.clf()
    ax = fig.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8])
    ax.plot(x)
    adjust_spines(ax,["left","bottom"])