Move colorbar closer to figure?

I have a colorbar with no title that I need to move closer to my figure to reduce padding/white space between the figure and the colorbar. I've tried to experiment with position using the colorbar position properties but I'm striking out. Below is a snippet of code:

How can I adjust the colorbar toward the figure (in this case from bottom toward the top)?

hcb=colorbar('SouthOutside');
% Set the number of colorbar ticks and length of tick marks
set(hcb,'YTick',[-6:0.25:6],'TickLength',[0.01]);
% Label tick marks but only label every other tick mark
set(hcb,'YTickLabel',{'-6';'';'';'';'-5';'';'';'';'-4';'';'';'';'-3';'';'';'';'-2';'';'';'';'-1';'';'';'';'0';'';'';'';'1';'';'';'';'2';'';'';'';'3';'';'';'';'4';'';'';'';'5';'';'';'';'6'});
hcb.Ruler.TickLabelRotation=0;

Answer 1

[Voss]

hcb=colorbar('SouthOutside');
% Set the number of colorbar ticks and length of tick marks
set(hcb,'YTick',[-6:0.25:6],'TickLength',[0.01]);
% Label tick marks but only label every other tick mark
set(hcb,'YTickLabel',{'-6';'';'';'';'-5';'';'';'';'-4';'';'';'';'-3';'';'';'';'-2';'';'';'';'-1';'';'';'';'0';'';'';'';'1';'';'';'';'2';'';'';'';'3';'';'';'';'4';'';'';'';'5';'';'';'';'6'});
hcb.Ruler.TickLabelRotation=0;

% move colorbar up slightly:
drawnow
hcb.Position(2) = hcb.Position(2)+0.01;

[John Cruce]

For whatever reason, this reduces the height of the colorbar and moves it downward rather than upward toward the figure. Is there something I'm missing?

[Adam Danz]

Repositioning the colorbar affects the axes position.

There are two workarounds.

1. Store the original axes position and then return the axes position to those values after moving the colorbar.
2. Or, set the axes PositionConstraint to "innerposition"

[John Cruce]

I've attempted the first workaround (since I'm using 2019b), but it's still not solving the issue. Below is the basic code. Any thoughts?

axPos = get(gca, 'Position');
hcb.Position(2) = hcb.Position(2)+0.01;
set(gca,'Position',axPos);

[Voss]

It seems to work here.

For comparison, the original without adjusting colorbar position:

figure()
caxis([-6 6]); % R2019b

hcb=colorbar('SouthOutside');
% Set the number of colorbar ticks and length of tick marks
set(hcb,'YTick',[-6:0.25:6],'TickLength',[0.01]);
% Label tick marks but only label every other tick mark
set(hcb,'YTickLabel',{'-6';'';'';'';'-5';'';'';'';'-4';'';'';'';'-3';'';'';'';'-2';'';'';'';'-1';'';'';'';'0';'';'';'';'1';'';'';'';'2';'';'';'';'3';'';'';'';'4';'';'';'';'5';'';'';'';'6'});

hcb.Ruler.TickLabelRotation=0;

Now with colorbar position adjustment:

figure()
caxis([-6 6]); % R2019b

hcb=colorbar('SouthOutside');
% Set the number of colorbar ticks and length of tick marks
set(hcb,'YTick',[-6:0.25:6],'TickLength',[0.01]);
% Label tick marks but only label every other tick mark
set(hcb,'YTickLabel',{'-6';'';'';'';'-5';'';'';'';'-4';'';'';'';'-3';'';'';'';'-2';'';'';'';'-1';'';'';'';'0';'';'';'';'1';'';'';'';'2';'';'';'';'3';'';'';'';'4';'';'';'';'5';'';'';'';'6'});
hcb.Ruler.TickLabelRotation=0;

% store axes Position:
axPos = get(gca,'Position');
% move colorbar up slightly:
hcb.Position(2) = hcb.Position(2)+0.03; % increased adjustment to see the effect clearly
% restore axes Position:
set(gca,'Position',axPos);

[John Cruce]

If I remove the figure properties, it works fine, so the issue appears to be with the figure properties.

I open the figure and set the height and width using the line below.

figure('position', [0, 0, 730, 1300]);

[Voss]

What figure properties are you setting? Only Position?

figure('position', [0, 0, 730, 1300]);

caxis([-6 6]); % R2019b
hcb=colorbar('SouthOutside');
% Set the number of colorbar ticks and length of tick marks
set(hcb,'YTick',[-6:0.25:6],'TickLength',[0.01]);
% Label tick marks but only label every other tick mark
set(hcb,'YTickLabel',{'-6';'';'';'';'-5';'';'';'';'-4';'';'';'';'-3';'';'';'';'-2';'';'';'';'-1';'';'';'';'0';'';'';'';'1';'';'';'';'2';'';'';'';'3';'';'';'';'4';'';'';'';'5';'';'';'';'6'});
hcb.Ruler.TickLabelRotation=0;

% store axes Position:
axPos = get(gca,'Position');
% move colorbar up slightly:
hcb.Position(2) = hcb.Position(2)+0.01; % back to 0.01 for a figure of this height
% restore axes Position:
set(gca,'Position',axPos);

[Voss]

Note that I changed the colorbar position adjustment from 0.03 to 0.01 for the tall figure. Colorbar units are 'normalized' by default.