In ggplot (R statistical language) the defaults include a subtle grid and no axes. They also put in the extra random space.
Here is some code in case someone else using R wants to try out things discussed here:
library(ggplot2)
qplot(wt, mpg, data = mtcars, colour = factor(cyl)) +
theme(axis.line.x = element_line(color=”black”, size = 0),
axis.line.y = element_line(color=”black”, size = 1)) +
scale_x_continuous(expand = c(0, 0), limits = c(0,8)) +
scale_y_continuous(expand = c(0, 0), limits = c(0,36))
Relevant quote from Dragonfired by J. Zachary Pike. “Brokers make money by knowing key information; they make fortunes by ensuring that other brokers remain unaware or unsure of the same information until after critical trades.”