[Rd] graphics defaults

[hadley wickham]

>    Can someone point me to a justification for the design
>  decisions, which seem to be similar in lattice and
>  ggplot2, of (1) gray backgrounds and (2) filled points?
>  [I seem to remember seeing somewhere the opposite recommendation
>  for points, i.e. that open points make it much easier to
>  see if there are overlapping values -- and this would
>  be a reason that pch=1 gives an open circle ...]

>From a paper I'm working on:

This follows from the advice of
\citet{tufte:2006,tufte:1990,tufte:2001,tufte:1997} and
\citet{brewer:1994,carr:2002,carr:1994,carr:1999}. We can still see
the gridlines to aid in judgement of position \citep{cleveland:1993a},
but they have little visual impact and we can easily ``tune'' them
out. The grey background gives the plot a similar colour (in a
typographical sense) to the remainder of the text, ensuring that the
graphics fit in with the flow of a text without jumping out with a
bright white background. Finally, the grey background creates a
continuous field of colour which ensures that the plot is perceived as
a single visual entity.

I can dig out the exact references if you need them.

Hadley

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