Whether you are new to Stata graphics or a seasoned veteran, A Visual Guide to Stata Graphics, Third Edition will reach you how to use Stata to make publication-quality graphics that will stand out and enhance your statistical results. With over 900 illustrated examples and quick-reference tabs, this book quickly guides you to the information you need for creating and customizing high-quality graphs for any type of statistical data. Each graph is displayed in full color with simple and clear instructions that illustrate how to create and customize graphs using either Stata commands or the Stata Graph Editor. Stata’s powerful graphics system gives you complete control over how the elements of your graph look, from marker symbols to lines, from legends to captions and titles, from axis labels to grid lines, and more. Whether you use this book as a learning tool or a quick reference, you will have the power of Stata graphics at your fingertips.

The third edition has been updated and expanded to reflect new Stat graphics features, and includes many additional examples. This updated edition illustrates new features to specify fonts and symbols. New sections have been added that illustrate the use of the marginsplot command as well as the use of contour plots.

Introduction
Using this book
Types of Stata graphs
Schemes
Options
Building graphs

Editor
Overview of the Graph Editor
Object Browser
Modifying objects
Adding objects
Moving objects
Hiding and showing objects
Locking and unlocking objects
Using the Graph Recorder
Graph Editor versus Stata commands

Twoway graphs
Scatterplots
Regression fits and splines
Regression confidence interval fits
Line plots
Area plots
Bar plots
Range plots
Distribution plots
Contour plots
Options
Overlaying plots

Scatterplot matrix graphs
Marker options
Controlling axes
Matrix options
Graphing by groups

Bar graphs
Y variables
Graphing bars over groups
Options for controlling gaps between bars
Options for sorting bars
Controlling the categorical axis
Legends and labeling bars
Controlling the y axis
Changing the look of bars
Graphing by groups

Box plots
Specifying variables and groups
Options for controlling gaps between boxes
Options for sorting boxes
Controlling the categorical axis
Controlling legends
Controlling the y axis
Changing the look of boxes
Graphing by groups

Dot plots
Specifying variables and groups
Options for controlling gaps between dots
Options for sorting dots
Controlling the categorical axis
Controlling legends
Controlling the y axis
Changing the look of dot rulers
Graphing by groups

Pie charts
Types of pie charts
Sorting pie slices
Changing the look and color and exploding pie slices
Slice labels
Controlling legends
Graphing by groups

Options available for most graphs
Changing the look of markers
Creating and controlling marker labels
Connecting points and markers
Setting and controlling axis titles
Setting and controlling axis labels
Controlling axis scales
Selecting an axis
Graphing by groups
Controlling legends
Adding text to markers and positions
Options for text and textboxes
More options controlling the display of text

Standard options available for all graphs
Creating and controlling titles
Using schemes to control the look of graphs
Sizing graphs and their elements
Changing the look of graph regions

Styles for changing the look of graphs
Angles
Colors
Clock position
Compass direction
Connecting points
Line patterns
Line width
Margins
Marker size
Orientation
Marker symbols
Text size

Appendix
Overview of statistical graph commands
Common options for statistical graphs
The marginsplot command
Saving, redisplaying, and combining graphs
More examples: Putting it all together
Common mistakes
Customizing schemes
Online supplements