Package 'xkcd'

Plotting 'ggplot2' Graphics in an 'XKCD' Style

Description

Provides custom geoms and themes to create charts and graphics in the distinctive, hand-drawn 'XKCD' webcomic style using the 'ggplot2' framework. The package utilizes custom layers for jittered lines, segments, circles, and figures, and includes a theme that supports the necessary 'XKCD' font.

Details

The DESCRIPTION file:

Package:	xkcd
Type:	Package
Title:	Plotting 'ggplot2' Graphics in an 'XKCD' Style
Version:	0.1.0
Date:	2025-10-23
Maintainer:	Enrique Toledo <[email protected]>
Authors@R:	c( person(given = "Emilio", family = "Torres-Manzanera", role = "aut", email= "[email protected]"), person(given = "Enrique", family = "Toledo", role = c("ctb", "cre"), email = "[email protected]"))
VignetteBuilder:	knitr
Description:	Provides custom geoms and themes to create charts and graphics in the distinctive, hand-drawn 'XKCD' webcomic style using the 'ggplot2' framework. The package utilizes custom layers for jittered lines, segments, circles, and figures, and includes a theme that supports the necessary 'XKCD' font.
License:	MIT + file LICENSE
URL:	https://github.com/ToledoEM/xkcd, https://toledoem.github.io/xkcd
BugReports:	https://github.com/ToledoEM/xkcd/issues
Depends:	R (>= 4.0), ggplot2 (>= 3.4.0)
Imports:	Hmisc, stats, grid, rlang, extrafont
Suggests:	knitr, rmarkdown, zoo, reshape, splancs, lattice, pkgdown
RoxygenNote:	7.3.3
Encoding:	UTF-8
Config/pak/sysreqs:	cmake make libicu-dev libuv1-dev
Repository:	https://toledoem.r-universe.dev
Date/Publication:	2026-05-12 16:10:27 UTC
RemoteUrl:	https://github.com/toledoem/xkcd
RemoteRef:	HEAD
RemoteSha:	2cc51c0169baca50a7fe812d2899177d5e6b4925
Author:	Emilio Torres-Manzanera [aut], Enrique Toledo [ctb, cre]

Index of help topics:

geom_xkcdpath           GeomXkcdPath: fuzzy path/circle geom (XKCD
                        style)
theme_xkcd              Creates an XKCD theme
xkcd-package            Plotting 'ggplot2' Graphics in an 'XKCD' Style
xkcdaxis                Plot the axis
xkcdline                Draw lines or circles
xkcdman                 Draw a stick figure
xkcdrect                Draw fuzzy rectangles

Author(s)

Emilio Torres-Manzanera [aut], Enrique Toledo [ctb, cre]

Maintainer: Enrique Toledo <[email protected]>

Examples

## Not run: vignette("xkcd-intro")

---

GeomXkcdPath: fuzzy path/circle geom (XKCD style)

Description

A ggplot2 geom that draws jittered, smoothed paths or fuzzy circles. It expects aesthetics like 'x', 'y', and either 'xend'/'yend' (for segments) or 'diameter' (for circles). Additional aesthetics (colour, alpha, linewidth, linetype) are respected.

Usage

geom_xkcdpath(
  mapping = NULL,
  data = NULL,
  stat = "identity",
  position = "identity",
  ...,
  xjitteramount = 0.01,
  yjitteramount = 0.01,
  mask = TRUE,
  show.legend = NA,
  inherit.aes = TRUE
)

Arguments

mapping	Aesthetic mapping.
data	Data frame.
stat	The statistical transformation to use on the data for this layer.
position	Position adjustment.
...	Other arguments passed on to layer().
xjitteramount	Horizontal jitter amount for segments.
yjitteramount	Vertical jitter amount for segments.
mask	Logical; if TRUE draws a thicker white mask path under the main path.
show.legend	Show legend.
inherit.aes	Whether to inherit aesthetics from the plot.

---

Creates an XKCD theme

Description

This function creates an XKCD theme, applying the 'xkcd' font if available.

Usage

theme_xkcd()

Value

A theme object.

Note

The "xkcd" font must be installed and registered with extrafont for the full effect. See the vignette vignette("xkcd-intro") for installation instructions.

Examples

## Not run: 
# Assuming 'xkcd' font is installed and registered:
p <- ggplot(mtcars, aes(mpg, wt)) +
     geom_point() +
     theme_xkcd()
p

## End(Not run)

---

Plot the axis

Description

This function plots the axis in an XKCD style.

Usage

xkcdaxis(xrange, yrange, ...)

Arguments

xrange	The range of the X axe.
yrange	The range of the Y axe.
...	Other arguments passed to geom_xkcdpath.

Value

A list of layers containing the axes, coordinate system, and theme.

Examples

## Not run: 
xrange <- range(mtcars$mpg)
yrange <- range(mtcars$wt)
p <- ggplot() +
     geom_point(aes(mpg, wt), data=mtcars) +
     xkcdaxis(xrange,yrange)
p

## End(Not run)

---

Draw lines or circles

Description

Draw lines or circles

Usage

xkcdline(mapping, data, typexkcdline = "segment", mask = TRUE, ...)

Arguments

mapping	Aesthetic mapping
data	Dataset
typexkcdline	"segment" or "circunference"
mask	Logical
...	Additional arguments

---

Draw a stick figure

Description

Draw a stick figure

Usage

xkcdman(mapping, data, ...)

Arguments

mapping	Aesthetic mapping
data	Dataset
...	Optional arguments

---

Draw fuzzy rectangles

Description

It draws fuzzy rectangles.

Usage

xkcdrect(
  mapping,
  data,
  ...,
  fillcolour = "grey90",
  bordercolour = "black",
  borderlinewidth = 0.5,
  borderxjitteramount = 0.005,
  borderyjitteramount = 0.005
)

Arguments

mapping	Mapping between variables and aesthetics generated by aes. See Details.
data	Dataset used in this layer.
...	Optional arguments.
fillcolour	The fill colour of the rectangle.
bordercolour	The colour of the fuzzy border lines.
borderlinewidth	The thickness of the fuzzy border lines. This is the package's implementation of the linewidth aesthetic.
borderxjitteramount	Horizontal jitter amount for the border.
borderyjitteramount	Vertical jitter amount for the border.

Details

This function draws fuzzy rectangles.

It plots rectangles. The following aesthetics are required:

1. xmin

2. ymin

3. xmax

4. ymax

Additionally, you can use the aesthetics of geom_path and geom_rect.

Value

A layer.

See Also

aes, geom_path

Examples

## Not run: 
volunteers <- data.frame(year = c(2007:2011),
                         number = c(56470, 56998, 59686, 61783, 64251))

xrange <- range(volunteers$year)
yrange <- range(volunteers$number)

p <- ggplot() + 
     xkcdrect(aes(xmin = year - 0.2, 
                  xmax = year + 0.2,
                  ymin = number - 500,
                  ymax = number + 500),
              data = volunteers, 
              fillcolour = "pink",
              borderlinewidth = 1.2) +
     geom_point(aes(x = year, y = number), data = volunteers) +
     xkcdaxis(xrange, yrange) +
     theme_xkcd()
p

## End(Not run)

---