6.4.1 Copy and Apply a Plot Format to Another Plot

Summary

It is possible to copy and paste formatting from one plot to another, so there is no need to spend time recreating identical customizations such as size and color of symbols and lines.

Minimum Origin Version Required: Origin 8.0 SR6

What you will learn

This tutorial will show you how to:

  • Copy a plot format (color, size, etc. of the symbol or the line), and apply it to other plot.

Steps

  1. Click the New Project button on the Standard toolbar to begin with a new project.
  2. Start with an empty worksheet. Select Help: Open Folder: Sample Folder... to open the "Samples" folder. In this folder, open the Curve Fitting subfolder and find the file exponential decay.dat. Drag-and-drop this file into the empty worksheet to import it.
  3. Highlight column B, C and D, and select Plot: 2D: Line+Symbol: Line+Symbol" menu to plot these three datasets.
  4. Double-click on the plot to show the Plot Details dialog box.
  5. Choose Group tab in the dialog, and select Independent for the Edit Mode -- this makes it easier to customize individual plots.
  6. Make sure that the top data plot (Time(X) Decay 1(Y)) is selected in the left panel of the Plot Details dialog. If not, select this plot branch in the left panel.
  7. Select the Symbol tab, and change the Size to "5". (You can also change the shape or the color to others of your choice.)
  8. Select the Line tab, and change the width to "0.2". (You can also change the style or the color to others of your choice.) Click OK. You will see that the Decay 1 plot has been customized.
  9. Click on Decay 1 plots to select. Right-click on it and select Copy format. This will copy the plot format of Decay 1 to the clipboard.
  10. On the graph, click on the Decay 2 data plot to select it, right-click and select Paste Format to: All. You will see the plot format of Decay 1 copied to Decay 2.
Note: Right-clicking on third plot "Decay 3" to select Paste Format(Advanced) to open the Apply Formats dialog, you can do further and more detailed settings.