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How to Remove Tick Marks in Matplotlib

Use ax.tick_params(axis='both', which='both', length=0) to hide tick marks while keeping labels, plus the right call when you want labels, minor ticks or the whole axis gone.
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To remove tick marks but keep the labels, set the tick length to zero: ax.tick_params(axis='both', which='both', length=0). If you want the ticks and their labels gone, or the whole axis gone, a different call fits better. This guide covers each case.

The one-line fix: hide the marks, keep the labels

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot([1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 7])
ax.tick_params(axis='both', which='both', length=0)
plt.show()

tick_params is Matplotlib’s usual tool for controlling tick appearance. Setting length=0 shrinks the marks to nothing. It changes only the tick length, so tick labels, spines and grid lines keep their current settings.

  • axis: 'x', 'y' or 'both'.
  • which: 'major', 'minor' or 'both'.

To hide marks on the x-axis only:

ax.tick_params(axis='x', which='both', length=0)

Choose the behavior you actually want

Goal Code What remains
Marks gone, labels stay ax.tick_params(axis='both', which='both', length=0) Labels, spines, grid
Ticks and labels gone on one axis ax.set_xticks([]) or ax.set_yticks([]) Spines, other axis
Same, via pyplot plt.xticks([]), plt.yticks([]) Spines, other axis
Minor ticks only ax.minorticks_off() Major ticks and labels
Everything gone ax.set_axis_off() or plt.axis('off') Only the plotted data

Remove ticks and their labels

Passing an empty list sets the tick locations to nothing. With no locations there are no marks and no labels:

ax.set_xticks([])
ax.set_yticks([])

The pyplot forms plt.xticks([]) and plt.yticks([]) do the same for the current axes. In a figure with several subplots, prefer the ax methods so you target the right one.

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Remove only minor ticks

ax.minorticks_off()

This leaves major ticks alone. If you want to hide the marks on both major and minor ticks without changing their locations or labels, use which='both' with tick_params, as above.

Remove every axis decoration

ax.set_axis_off()

Matplotlib’s documentation describes this as suppressing drawing of all axis decorations: axis labels, axis spines, and the tick component (tick markers, tick labels and grid lines). It is useful for images and diagrams. It is usually too much if you only wanted the little marks gone.

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Why tick_params is the safer choice

The pyplot xticks documentation warns that properties set on the current tick objects may not persist, because later plotting operations can create, remove or modify those objects. It recommends tick_params where possible. Settings made through tick_params are stored on the axis, so they survive redraws and later changes better than styling individual tick objects.

Tick marks and tick labels are independent. Zero-length ticks do not hide labels, and hiding labels does not remove marks. If the labels should go too, add labelbottom=False and labelleft=False to the same tick_params call, or use empty tick lists.

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