GeographicScalebar Properties

Geographic scale bar appearance and behavior

GeographicScalebar properties control the appearance and behavior of the GeographicScalebar object stored in a GeographicAxes or MapAxes (Mapping Toolbox™) object.

By changing property values, you can modify certain aspects of the scale bar. Access the GeographicScalebar object using the Scalebar property of the GeographicAxes or MapAxes object. Use dot notation to query and set properties.

geoplot(1:10,1:10)
gx = gca;
v = gx.Scalebar.Visible;
gx.Scalebar.Visible = "off";

Appearance

BackgroundAlpha — Background transparency

0.45 (default) | value in the range [0, 1]

Background transparency, specified as a value in the range [0, 1]. A value of 1 means opaque and a value of 0 means transparent.

Example: gx.Scalebar.BackgroundAlpha = 0.2;

BackgroundColor — Background color

[1 1 1] (default) | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | "r" | "g" | "b" | ...

Background color, specified as an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, a color name, or a short color name.

For a custom color, specify an RGB triplet or a hexadecimal color code.

• An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1], for example, [0.4 0.6 0.7].

• A hexadecimal color code is a string scalar or character vector that starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by three or six hexadecimal digits, which can range from 0 to F. The values are not case sensitive. Therefore, the color codes "#FF8800", "#ff8800", "#F80", and "#f80" are equivalent.

Alternatively, you can specify some common colors by name. This table lists the named color options, the equivalent RGB triplets, and the hexadecimal color codes.

Color Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
"red"	"r"	[1 0 0]	"#FF0000"
"green"	"g"	[0 1 0]	"#00FF00"
"blue"	"b"	[0 0 1]	"#0000FF"
"cyan"	"c"	[0 1 1]	"#00FFFF"
"magenta"	"m"	[1 0 1]	"#FF00FF"
"yellow"	"y"	[1 1 0]	"#FFFF00"
"black"	"k"	[0 0 0]	"#000000"
"white"	"w"	[1 1 1]	"#FFFFFF"
"none"	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	No color

This table lists the default color palettes for plots in the light and dark themes.

Palette	Palette Colors
"gem" — Light theme default Before R2025a: Most plots use these colors by default.
"glow" — Dark theme default

You can get the RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes for these palettes using the orderedcolors and rgb2hex functions. For example, get the RGB triplets for the "gem" palette and convert them to hexadecimal color codes.

RGB = orderedcolors("gem");
H = rgb2hex(RGB);

Before R2023b: Get the RGB triplets using RGB = get(groot,"FactoryAxesColorOrder").

Before R2024a: Get the hexadecimal color codes using H = compose("#%02X%02X%02X",round(RGB*255)).

Example: gx.Scalebar.BackgroundColor = [0 0 1];

Example: gx.Scalebar.BackgroundColor = "b";

Example: gx.Scalebar.BackgroundColor = "none";

Example: gx.Scalebar.BackgroundColor = "#0000FF";

EdgeColor — Line color

[0.15 0.15 0.15] (default) | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | "r" | "g" | "b" | ...

Line color, specified as an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, a color name, or a short color name.

For a custom color, specify an RGB triplet or a hexadecimal color code.

• An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1], for example, [0.4 0.6 0.7].

• A hexadecimal color code is a string scalar or character vector that starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by three or six hexadecimal digits, which can range from 0 to F. The values are not case sensitive. Therefore, the color codes "#FF8800", "#ff8800", "#F80", and "#f80" are equivalent.

Alternatively, you can specify some common colors by name. This table lists the named color options, the equivalent RGB triplets, and the hexadecimal color codes.

Color Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
"red"	"r"	[1 0 0]	"#FF0000"
"green"	"g"	[0 1 0]	"#00FF00"
"blue"	"b"	[0 0 1]	"#0000FF"
"cyan"	"c"	[0 1 1]	"#00FFFF"
"magenta"	"m"	[1 0 1]	"#FF00FF"
"yellow"	"y"	[1 1 0]	"#FFFF00"
"black"	"k"	[0 0 0]	"#000000"
"white"	"w"	[1 1 1]	"#FFFFFF"
"none"	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	No color

This table lists the default color palettes for plots in the light and dark themes.

Palette	Palette Colors
"gem" — Light theme default Before R2025a: Most plots use these colors by default.
"glow" — Dark theme default

You can get the RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes for these palettes using the orderedcolors and rgb2hex functions. For example, get the RGB triplets for the "gem" palette and convert them to hexadecimal color codes.

RGB = orderedcolors("gem");
H = rgb2hex(RGB);

Before R2023b: Get the RGB triplets using RGB = get(groot,"FactoryAxesColorOrder").

Before R2024a: Get the hexadecimal color codes using H = compose("#%02X%02X%02X",round(RGB*255)).

Note

Setting properties of the parent axes can affect the scale bar.

• When the parent is a geographic axes, setting the AxisColor property for the axes sets the EdgeColor property for the scale bar to the same value.

• When the parent is a map axes, setting the OutlineColor property for the axes sets the EdgeColor property for the scale bar to the same value.

However, setting properties of the scale bar does not affect the parent axes. To prevent the axes property value from overriding the scale bar property value, set the axes value first, and then set the scale bar value.

Example: gx.Scalebar.EdgeColor = "b";

Example: gx.Scalebar.EdgeColor = "blue";

Example: gx.Scalebar.EdgeColor = [0 0 1];

Example: gx.Scalebar.EdgeColor = "#0000FF";

LineWidth — Line width

0.5 (default) | positive value

Line width, specified as a positive value in point units. One point equals 1/72 inch.

Note

Setting the LineWidth property for the parent axes sets the LineWidth property for the scale bar to the same value. However, setting the scale bar property does not set the axes property. To prevent the axes property value from overriding the scale bar property value, set the axes value first, and then set the scale bar value.

Example: gx.Scalebar.LineWidth = 2;

Visible — State of visibility

'on' (default) | on/off logical value

State of visibility, specified as 'on' or 'off', or as numeric or logical 1 (true) or 0 (false). A value of 'on' is equivalent to true, and 'off' is equivalent to false. Thus, you can use the value of this property as a logical value. The value is stored as an on/off logical value of type matlab.lang.OnOffSwitchState.

• 'on' — Display the object.

• 'off' — Hide the object without deleting it. You still can access the properties of an invisible object.

Font

FontName — Font name

supported font name | 'FixedWidth'

Font name, specified as a supported font name or 'FixedWidth'. To display and print text properly, you must choose a font that your system supports. The default font depends on your operating system and locale.

To use a fixed-width font that looks good in any locale, use 'FixedWidth'. The fixed-width font relies on the root FixedWidthFontName property. Setting the root FixedWidthFontName property causes an immediate update of the display to use the new font.

Note

Setting the FontName property for the parent axes sets the FontName property for the scale bar to the same value. However, setting the scale bar property does not set the axes property. To prevent the axes property value from overriding the scale bar property value, set the axes value first, and then set the scale bar value.

Example: gx.Scalebar.FontName = "Cambria";

FontSize — Font size

8 (default) | scalar numeric value

Font size, specified as a scalar numeric value.

Note

Setting the FontSize property for the parent axes sets the FontSize property for the scale bar to the same value. However, setting the scale bar property does not set the axes property. To prevent the axes property value from overriding the scale bar property value, set the axes value first, and then set the scale bar value.

When using the font size stored in the parent axes, the scale bar scales the font size to 80% of the axes font size.

Example: gx.Scalebar.FontSize = 12;

FontWeight — Character thickness

'normal' (default) | 'bold'

Character thickness, specified as 'normal' or 'bold'.

MATLAB^® uses the FontWeight property to select a font from those fonts available on your system. Not all fonts have a bold font weight. Therefore, specifying a bold font weight still can result in the normal font weight.

Note

Setting the FontWeight property for the parent axes sets the FontWeight property for the scale bar to the same value. However, setting the scale bar property does not set the axes property. To prevent the axes property value from overriding the scale bar property value, set the axes value first, and then set the scale bar value.

Example: gx.Scalebar.FontWeight = "bold";

FontColor — Font color

[0.15 0.15 0.15] (default) | RGB triplet | hexadecimal color code | 'r' | 'g' | 'b' | ...

Font color, specified as an RGB triplet, a hexadecimal color code, a color name, or a short color name.

For a custom color, specify an RGB triplet or a hexadecimal color code.

• An RGB triplet is a three-element row vector whose elements specify the intensities of the red, green, and blue components of the color. The intensities must be in the range [0,1], for example, [0.4 0.6 0.7].

• A hexadecimal color code is a string scalar or character vector that starts with a hash symbol (#) followed by three or six hexadecimal digits, which can range from 0 to F. The values are not case sensitive. Therefore, the color codes "#FF8800", "#ff8800", "#F80", and "#f80" are equivalent.

Alternatively, you can specify some common colors by name. This table lists the named color options, the equivalent RGB triplets, and the hexadecimal color codes.

Color Name	Short Name	RGB Triplet	Hexadecimal Color Code	Appearance
"red"	"r"	[1 0 0]	"#FF0000"
"green"	"g"	[0 1 0]	"#00FF00"
"blue"	"b"	[0 0 1]	"#0000FF"
"cyan"	"c"	[0 1 1]	"#00FFFF"
"magenta"	"m"	[1 0 1]	"#FF00FF"
"yellow"	"y"	[1 1 0]	"#FFFF00"
"black"	"k"	[0 0 0]	"#000000"
"white"	"w"	[1 1 1]	"#FFFFFF"
"none"	Not applicable	Not applicable	Not applicable	No color

This table lists the default color palettes for plots in the light and dark themes.

Palette	Palette Colors
"gem" — Light theme default Before R2025a: Most plots use these colors by default.
"glow" — Dark theme default

You can get the RGB triplets and hexadecimal color codes for these palettes using the orderedcolors and rgb2hex functions. For example, get the RGB triplets for the "gem" palette and convert them to hexadecimal color codes.

RGB = orderedcolors("gem");
H = rgb2hex(RGB);

Before R2023b: Get the RGB triplets using RGB = get(groot,"FactoryAxesColorOrder").

Before R2024a: Get the hexadecimal color codes using H = compose("#%02X%02X%02X",round(RGB*255)).

Note

Setting properties of the parent axes can affect the scale bar.

• When the parent is a geographic axes, setting the AxisColor property for the axes sets the FontColor property for the scale bar to the same value.

• When the parent is a map axes, setting the FontColor property for the axes sets the FontColor property for the scale bar to the same value.

However, setting properties of the scale bar does not affect the parent axes. To prevent the axes property value from overriding the scale bar property value, set the axes value first, and then set the scale bar value.

Example: gx.Scalebar.FontColor = "b";

Example: gx.Scalebar.FontColor = "blue";

Example: gx.Scalebar.FontColor = [0 0 1];

Example: gx.Scalebar.FontColor = "#0000FF";

FontAngle — Character slant

'normal' (default) | 'italic'

Character slant, specified as 'normal' or 'italic'.

Not all fonts have both font styles. Therefore, the italic font might look the same as the normal font.

Note

Setting the FontAngle property for the parent axes sets the FontAngle property for the scale bar to the same value. However, setting the scale bar property does not set the axes property. To prevent the axes property value from overriding the scale bar property value, set the axes value first, and then set the scale bar value.

Example: gx.Scalebar.FontAngle = "italic";

Parent/Child

Parent — Parent

Read-only: GeographicAxes object | MapAxes object

This property is read-only.

Parent, specified as a GeographicAxes object or MapAxes object.

Note

Scale bar objects are not listed in the Children property of the parent object.

Children — Children

Read-only: empty GraphicsPlaceholder array

This property is read-only.

Scale bar objects have no children.

Version History

Introduced in R2019a

R2025a: FontSmoothing property has no effect

The FontSmoothing property has no effect and will be removed in a future release. You can get or set the value of this property without warning, but all text is smooth regardless of the property value. This property removal was announced in R2022a.