Matlab in Linux: fontsize different between eps and fig export

Question

I wish to export figures both in eps and tiff (or png) using Matlab. Following this thread, I can change figure size and resolution conveniently. But now my problem is that the font sizes in my exported eps and tif files are very different.

For example:

1: using 300 dpi resolution to save a tif file:

r=300;
set(gcf, 'PaperUnits', 'inches', 'PaperPosition', [0 0 1024*2 1024*2]/r)
print(gcf,'-dtiff',sprintf('-r%d',r), 'contour.tif');

I get a very small font size (same applies when saving to png and jpg) enter image description here

Perhaps the resolution is affecting the font size. Because when I set r=0 (i.e. resolution the same as the display), the font size is very close to what I want:

r=300; set(gcf, 'PaperUnits', 'inches', 'PaperPosition', [0 0 1024*2 1024*2]/r) print(gcf,'-dtiff',sprintf('-r%d',0), 'contour.tif');

enter image description here

But the problem is that such resolutions can not be published as zigzags. This can be seen when slightly zoomed in.

Just wondering how I can set all figure outputs to be consistent between formats, particularly between eps and tiffs, without using third party software (e.g. using Illustrator to export)?

There are numerous problems getting graphics out of MATLAB correctly. Have you tried export_fig on the File Exchange on The Mathworks website? — transversality condition
I understood this can be 'handled' by setting paperposition and resolution differently when saving to eps and fig to get exactly the same figure, but I am looking for the equation! I am now trying to use export_fig and will update if great results comes. — Chenming Zhang
I can't reproduce your problem. Please post a fully executable example, for both eps and tiff. — Robert Seifert
as @MichaelJ suggests, export_fig is the most downloaded File Exchange submission of all times, and there is a reason for that: IT works amazingly to export figures, way way way better than Matlab's inbuilt functions. In shot: You want to export figs? use export_fig! — Ander Biguri

Chenming Zhang Chenming Zhang · Accepted Answer · 2015-07-14T07:03:37

I found this problem is associated with the missing font in linux. I use the following commands to resolve three machines installing different distros:

for a ubuntu machine, run:

sudo apt-get install xfonts-75dpi xfonts-100dpi

for a gentoo machine, run:

emerge -av media-fonts/font-adobe-100dpi media-fonts/font-adobe-75dpi liberation-fonts

for a centos machine, run:

yum install xorg-x11-fonts-75dpi xorg-x11-fonts-100dpi

I have to reboot the computer to make the configuration in effect.

Matlab in Linux: fontsize different between eps and fig export

1 Answers