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Thickness[r]

is a graphics directive which specifies that lines which follow are to be drawn with thickness r. The thickness r is given as a fraction of the horizontal plot range.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Thickness Specifications  
Primitives Affected  
Properties & Relations  
Possible Issues  
Neat Examples  
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Tech Notes
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Thickness

Thickness[r]

is a graphics directive which specifies that lines which follow are to be drawn with thickness r. The thickness r is given as a fraction of the horizontal plot range.

Details

  • Thickness can be used in both two- and three-dimensional graphics, as well as in Style specifications.
  • The following symbolic forms for r can be used: Tiny, Small, Medium, and Large. These specify absolute thicknesses independent of the overall size of the graphic.

Examples

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Basic Examples  (3)

Specify the thickness of lines as a fraction of the total width of the graphic:

Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{Thickness[r], Line[{{1, 0}, {2, 1}, {3, 0}, {4, 1}}]}], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]

Set the thickness of edges of polygons:

Wolfram Language code: p2 = Polygon[{{-1, 0}, {0, Sqrt[3]}, {1, 0}}];
Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{Pink, EdgeForm[Thickness[r]], p2}], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]

Set the thicknesses of lines in plots using PlotStyle:

Wolfram Language code: Plot[{Sin[x], Cos[x]}, {x, 0, 2π}, PlotStyle -> {Thickness[0.01], Thickness[0.02]}]

Scope  (4)

Thickness Specifications  (1)

Symbolic values for predefined absolute thicknesses:

Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{Thickness[r], Line[{{1, 0}, {2, 1}, {3, 0}, {4, 1}}]}], {r, {Tiny, Small, Medium, Large}}]

Primitives Affected  (3)

Specify the thickness of curve primitives:

Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{Thickness[r], Circle[]}], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]
Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{Thickness[r], Arrowheads[.2], Arrow[{{0, 0}, {2, 1}}]}], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]
Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics3D[{Thickness[r], Line[{{1, 1, 0}, {2, 2, 1}, {3, 3, 0}, {4, 4, 1}}]}], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]

Specify the thickness of edges in 2D by using EdgeForm:

Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{Pink, EdgeForm[Thickness[r]], Disk[]}], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]
Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{Pink, EdgeForm[Thickness[r]], Rectangle[]}], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]

Specify the thickness of edges in 3D by using EdgeForm:

Wolfram Language code: p3 = Polygon[{{1, 0, 0}, {0, 0, 1}, {1, 1, 1}}];
Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics3D[{Pink, EdgeForm[Thickness[r]], p3}], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]
Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics3D[{Pink, EdgeForm[Thickness[r]], Cone[]}, Boxed -> False], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]
Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics3D[{Pink, EdgeForm[Thickness[r]], Cylinder[]}, Boxed -> False], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]
Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics3D[{Pink, EdgeForm[Thickness[r]], Cuboid[]}, Boxed -> False], {r, {0.01, 0.02, 0.05}}]

Properties & Relations  (3)

Use Thick and Thin to specify predefined absolute thicknesses:

Wolfram Language code: {Graphics[{Thin, Line[{{0, 0}, {2, 1}}]}], Graphics[{Thick, Line[{{0, 0}, {2, 1}}]}]}

Thickness defines the thickness as a fraction of the total width of the graphic:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics[{Thickness[.5], Line[{{1 / 2, 0}, {1 / 2, 1}}]}, Frame -> True, PlotRange -> {{0, 1}, {0, 1}}, PlotRangeClipping -> True]

Thickness depends on the image size:

Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{Thickness[.03], Line[{{0, 0}, {2, 1}}]}, ImageSize -> s], {s, {50, 100, 150}}]

AbsoluteThickness defines the thickness of lines in units of printer's points:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics[{AbsoluteThickness[15], Line[{{-1, 0}, {1, 0}}], Text[Style["15 points", StandardBlue, FontSize -> 15], {0, 0}]}]

AbsoluteThickness is independent of the image size:

Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{AbsoluteThickness[3], Line[{{0, 0}, {2, 1}}]}, ImageSize -> s], {s, {50, 100, 150}}]

Possible Issues  (1)

Thick lines can be clipped by a frame without ImagePadding:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics[{Thickness[0.3], Gray, Circle[]}, ImagePadding -> None, Frame -> True]

ImagePadding->All leaves enough padding for thick lines:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics[{Thickness[0.3], Gray, Circle[]}, ImagePadding -> All, Frame -> True]

Neat Examples  (1)

Draw a collection of randomly colored, positioned and thickened lines:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics[Table[{Hue[RandomReal[]], Thickness[RandomReal[{0, 0.05}]], Line[RandomReal[1, {2, 2}]]}, {50}]]
Wolfram Research (1988), Thickness, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Thickness.html (updated 2007).

Text

Wolfram Research (1988), Thickness, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Thickness.html (updated 2007).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 1988. "Thickness." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2007. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Thickness.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (1988). Thickness. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Thickness.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_thickness, author="Wolfram Research", title="{Thickness}", year="2007", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Thickness.html}", note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_thickness, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={Thickness}, year={2007}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/Thickness.html}, note=[Accessed: 12-June-2026]}