- The vertical axis of a graph is known as the y-axis (or ordinate).
- The horizontal axis of a graph is known as the x-axis (or abscissa).
If you want to draw a good graph follow the cult of Tufte:
- Don’t create false impressions of what the data show (likewise, don’t hide effects) by scaling the y-axis in some weird way.
- Avoid chartjunk: Don’t use patterns, 3-D effects, shadows, pictures of spleens, photos of your Uncle Fred, pink cats or anything else.
