How to remove the first and last ticks label of each Y-axis subplot in Matplotlib?

When creating multiple subplots in Matplotlib, you might want to remove the first and last tick labels from the Y-axis to create cleaner visualizations. This can be achieved by iterating through the axes and setting specific tick labels to invisible.

Method: Using setp() to Hide Tick Labels

The most effective approach is to use plt.setp() to modify the visibility of specific tick labels ?

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

# Set figure size and layout
plt.rcParams["figure.figsize"] = [7.50, 3.50]
plt.rcParams["figure.autolayout"] = True

# Create subplots with sample data
fig, ax = plt.subplots(2, sharex=True)

# Add sample data to make the example complete
x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
ax[0].plot(x, np.sin(x))
ax[1].plot(x, np.cos(x))

# Remove first and last Y-axis tick labels for each subplot
for a in ax:
    plt.setp(a.get_yticklabels()[0], visible=False)
    plt.setp(a.get_yticklabels()[-1], visible=False)

plt.show()

How It Works

The code follows these key steps ?

• get_yticklabels() returns a list of all Y-axis tick label objects

• [0] and [-1] select the first and last tick labels respectively

• plt.setp() sets the visible property to False

• The loop applies this to all subplots in the axes array

Alternative Method: Using set_visible()

You can also directly call the set_visible() method on tick labels ?

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

fig, ax = plt.subplots(2, sharex=True, figsize=(7.5, 3.5))

# Add sample data
x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
ax[0].plot(x, np.sin(x), label='sin(x)')
ax[1].plot(x, np.cos(x), label='cos(x)')

# Alternative method: direct set_visible()
for a in ax:
    yticks = a.get_yticklabels()
    if len(yticks) > 0:
        yticks[0].set_visible(False)
        yticks[-1].set_visible(False)

plt.tight_layout()
plt.show()

Key Points

• Safety check: Always verify that tick labels exist before accessing them

• Timing: Apply tick label modifications after plotting data

• Layout: Use tight_layout() or autolayout=True for better spacing

Conclusion

Use plt.setp() with get_yticklabels()[0] and get_yticklabels()[-1] to hide first and last Y-axis tick labels. This technique works across all subplots when applied in a loop, creating cleaner subplot visualizations.