In MedCalc, the default increments are 1, 2 or 5 times a power of ten, yielding about 6 to 10 major 

tickmarks.  If you are preparing a graph for publication, you are advised (Tukey, 1977) to limit the number 

of major tickmarks to about 2 or 3, so you will have to increase the value for increment, preferably also 

steps of 1, 2 or 5 times a power of 10. 

If a logarithmic transformation of the data was selected in the graph's dialog box, then the information for 

the lowest value (Minimum) and Increment must be logarithmic values as well (e.g. for Minimum enter  2 

for the value 0.01, or 0 for the value 1, 3 for the value 1000, etc.). Increment is then the exponent 

increment and should preferentially remain equal to 1. 

After selecting 

OK

, the graph will be replotted using the new axis scaling.  However, the program will 

ignore a new axis scaling if this new scaling would cause data to fall outside the full axis range. 

Colors 

In the graph colors box you can select a color for every object used in the graph.  

  Schemes: allows selection of a predefined or customized color scheme. A color scheme also includes 

the Fills, Lines and Marker color and style selections.  

  Graph objects: in order to change the color of a particular graphical object, e.g. the grid color, you first 

select the object in the Graphs objects list and next use the Color for object selector to select a color. 

The Background fill color is the color used to fill markers or the boxes in a box and whisker plot.  

The  Warning color is used to highlight far out values in box and whisker plots, or to highlight 

measurements that violate selected control rules in a control chart.  

Note that when for a particular object you specify the same color as the Background fill color, this 

object will not be displayed.  

  Options  

Display grid: displays gridlines in the graph.  

Plot area border: XY only: when this option is selected, lines for the X and Y axes are drawn. If this 

option is not selected, the plot area is enclosed in a rectangle. 

12