Drawing minimal xy axis

Why pgfplots is left out?

\documentclass[border=2mm]{standalone} \usepackage{pgfplots} \pgfplotsset{compat=1.11} \begin{document} \begin{tikzpicture} \begin{axis}[grid=both,ymin=-5,ymax=5,xmax=5,xmin=-5,xticklabel=\empty,yticklabel=\empty, minor tick num=1,axis lines = middle,xlabel=$x$,ylabel=$y$,label style = {at={(ticklabel cs:1.1)}}] \end{axis} \end{tikzpicture} \end{document} 

And here is a fairly generic Metapost approach to making a grid. Follow the link for an introduction to Metapost and how to use this code in a LaTeX document.

prologues := 3; outputtemplate := "%j%c.eps"; beginfig(1); u = 1cm; ymax = xmax = 4.75; xmin = ymin = -4.75; path xx, yy; xx = ((xmin,0) -- (xmax,0)) scaled u; yy = ((0,ymin) -- (0,ymax)) scaled u; drawoptions(dashed evenly scaled .5 withcolor .7 white); for i = ceiling ymin upto floor ymax: draw xx shifted (0,i*u); endfor for i = ceiling xmin upto floor xmax: draw yy shifted (i*u,0); endfor drawoptions(withpen pencircle scaled .7); xx := xx scaled 1.05; yy := yy scaled 1.05; drawarrow xx; drawarrow yy; drawoptions(); label.rt (btex $x$ etex, point infinity of xx); label.top(btex $y$ etex, point infinity of yy); endfig; end. 

Just a simple way, easy to adapt, (but the lines or not dashed).

\documentclass{article} \usepackage{tkz-euclide} \begin{document} \begin{tikzpicture} \tkzInit[xmin=-5,xmax=5,ymin=-5,ymax=5] \tkzGrid[sub,color=gray, subxstep=.5,subystep=.5] \tkzAxeXY[very thick] \tkzGrid \end{tikzpicture} \end{document} 

A PSTricks solution:

\documentclass{article} \usepackage{pst-plot} \begin{document} % parameter \def\size{5} % natural number \begin{pspicture}(-\size,-\size)(\size.57,\size.62)% found manually \multido{\iA = -\size+1}{\numexpr2*\size+1}{% \multido{\iB = -\size+1}{\numexpr2*\size+1}{% \psset{linewidth = 0.5\pslinewidth, linestyle = dashed, linecolor = gray!50} \psline(-\size,\iA)(\size,\iA) \psline(\iB,-\size)(\iB,\size)}} \psaxes[labels = none]{->}(0,0)(-\size,-\size)(\size.21,\size.21)[$x$,0][$y$,90] \end{pspicture} \end{document} 

All you have to do is choose the value of \size and the drawing will be adjusted accordingly.

I've drawn the grid manually since pstricks-add's function for this makes it look wierd, I think.

A stack was too much to resist, so onto the bandwagon I jump.

\documentclass{article} \usepackage[usestackEOL]{stackengine} \usepackage{xcolor,graphicx,amssymb} \setstackgap{L}{1cm} \def\stacktype{L} % DASHED LINE OF SPECIFIED LENGTH % From morsburg at http://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/12537/ % how-can-i-make-a-horizontal-dashed-line/12553#12553 \def\solidfill{\cleaders\hbox to .1cm{\rule{.1cm}{1pt}}\hfill} \def\dashfill{\cleaders\hbox to .2cm{\rule{.05cm}{.4pt}}\hfill} \newcommand\dashline[1]{\hbox to #1{\dashfill\hfil}} \newcommand\solidline[1]{\hbox to #1{\solidfill\hfil}} \newcommand\DL{\textcolor{black!30}{\dashline{8.6cm}}} \newcommand\SL{\textcolor{black}{\solidline{8.8cm}}\makebox[.2cm][r]{\arrowhead}} \def\arrowhead{\raisebox{-2.6pt}{$\blacktriangleright$}} \begin{document} \savestack\partA{\Longstack{\DL\\ \DL\\ \DL\\ \DL\\ \SL\\ \DL\\ \DL\\ \DL\\ \DL}} \stackinset{c}{10pt}{t}{3pt}{$y$}{% \stackinset{r}{3pt}{c}{-10pt}{$x$}{% \stackon[-.5cm]{\partA}{\rotatebox{90}{\partA}}% }} \end{document} 

No graphics question is complete without a picture mode solution:

\documentclass[border=2pt]{standalone} \usepackage{xcolor} \unitlength=1cm \begin{document} \begin{picture}(10.5,10.5)(-5,-5) {\color{gray} \thinlines \multiput(-5,-4)(0,1){9}{\line(1,0){10}} \multiput(-4,-5)(1,0){9}{\line(0,1){10}} } \thicklines \put(-5,0){\vector(1,0){10.2}} \put(0,-5){\vector(0,1){10.2}} \put(5.3,0){\makebox(1,0)[l]{$x$}} \put(0,5.3){\makebox(0,1)[b]{$y$}} \end{picture} \end{document} 

My own try with MetaPost, which is integrated into a LuaLaTeX program. I've picked up some macros I had already created for my own use (and modified some of them slightly).

\documentclass[12pt]{scrartcl} \usepackage{unicode-math} \usepackage{luamplib} \everymplib{verbatimtex \leavevmode etex; def hgrid(expr ymin, ymax, ystep, u, v)(text mycolor) = for j = ceiling(ymin) step ystep until floor(ymax): draw ((xmin, j) -- (xmax, j)) xscaled u yscaled v withcolor mycolor; endfor; enddef; def vgrid(expr xmin, xmax, xstep, u, v)(text mycolor) = for i = ceiling(xmin) step xstep until floor(xmax): draw ((i, ymin) -- (i, ymax)) xscaled u yscaled v withcolor mycolor; endfor; enddef; vardef xaxis(expr xmin, xmax, u) = ((xmin, 0) -- (xmax, 0)) scaled u enddef; vardef yaxis(expr ymin, ymax, v) = ((0, ymin) -- (0, ymax)) scaled v enddef; beginfig(1);} \everyendmplib{endfig;} \begin{document} \begin{mplibcode} u := 1cm; v := 1.25cm; xmin = -4.9; xmax = 4.9; ymin = -4.5; ymax = 4.5; vgrid(xmin, xmax, 1, u, v, 0.8white dashed evenly); hgrid(ymin, ymax, 1, u, v, 0.8white dashed evenly); pickup pencircle scaled 1bp; drawarrow xaxis(xmin, xmax, u); drawarrow yaxis(ymin, ymax, v); label.bot(btex $x$ etex, (xmax*u, 0)); label.lft(btex $y$ etex, (0, ymax*v)); \end{mplibcode} \end{document} 

Result as expected:

This time with the mfpic package, which is a (La)TeX interface to MetaPost or Metafont (here used MetaPost). Note that this program is shorter than my correponding MetaPost coding, since mfpic already has its own drawing macros.

In exchange it requires several compilations, à la bibTeX: first compile your LaTeX file, say grid.tex, with LaTeX, then the created grid.mp file with MetaPost, and then again grid.tex with LaTeX. As a regular mfpic user I use a script which automatizes this.

\documentclass[12pt]{scrartcl} \usepackage[metapost]{mfpic} \setlength{\mfpicunit}{1cm} \opengraphsfile{\jobname} \begin{document} \begin{mfpic}[1]{-4.9}{4.9}{-4.5}{4.5} \drawcolor[gray]{0.8} \begin{mfpfor}{i = ceiling(\xmin) step 1 until floor(\xmax)} \dashed\lines{(i, \ymin), (i, \ymax)} \end{mfpfor} \begin{mfpfor}{j = ceiling(\ymin) step 1 until floor(\ymax)} \dashed\lines{(\xmin, j), (\xmax, j)} \end{mfpfor} \drawcolor{black} \penwd{1bp} \doaxes{xy} \tlpointsep{3bp} \tlabels{[tc](\xmax, 0){$x$} [cr](0, \ymax){$y$}} \end{mfpic} \closegraphsfile \end{document} 

Result:

\documentclass{article} \usepackage{pst-plot} \begin{document} \begin{pspicture}(-5.4,-5.4)(5.4,5.4) \psaxes[labels=none,ticklinestyle=dashed,ticksize=-5 5, tickcolor=black!20](0,0)(-5,-5)(5,5)[$x$,0][$y$,90] \psaxes[labels=none]{->}(0,0)(-5,-5)(5,5) \end{pspicture} \end{document} 

An alternative MWE with PSTricks.

\documentclass{article} \usepackage{pstricks-add} \begin{document} \begin{pspicture}(-5,-5)(5,5) \psgrid[griddots=10,gridlabels=0pt, subgriddiv=0, gridcolor=darkgray] \psaxes[linewidth=1.2pt, labels=all]{->}(0,0)(-5,-5)(5,5)[$x$,-90][$y$,-180] \end{pspicture} \end{document} 

\begin{figure[ht] \centering \begin{tikzpicture]\draw[step=0.5cm,opacity=0.5] (-5,-5) grid (5,5); \draw[Triangle-Triangle,ultra thick] (-5,0)--(5,0) node[below right]{$x$}; \draw[Triangle-Triangle,ultra thick] (0,5) node[above left]{$y$}--(0,-5); \end{tikzpicture} \end{figure}