Boxed geom_text with ggplot2

Question

I am developing a graphic with ggplot2 wherein I need to superimpose text over other graphical elements. Depending on the color of the elements underlying the text, it can b

Answer 1

One option is to add another layer that corresponds to the text layer. Since ggplot adds layers sequentially, place a geom_rect under the call to geom_text and it will create the illusion you're after. This is admittedly a bit of a manual process trying to figure out the appropriate size for the box, but it's the best I can come up with for now.

library(ggplot2)
ggplot(data = SampleFrame,aes(x = X, y = Y)) + 
  geom_point(size = 20) +
  geom_rect(data = TextFrame, aes(xmin = X -.4, xmax = X + .4, ymin = Y - .4, ymax = Y + .4), fill = "grey80") +
  geom_text(data = TextFrame,aes(x = X, y = Y, label = LAB), size = 4)

Answer 2

Instead of adding a bounding box, I would suggest changing the text color to white which can be done by doing

Plot <- Plot + 
  geom_text(data = TextFrame, aes(x = X, y = Y, label = LAB), colour = 'white')

The other approach would be to add an alpha to geom_point to make it more transparent

Plot <- Plot + geom_point(size = 20, alpha = 0.5)

EDIT. Here is a way to generalize Chase's solution to automatically compute the bounding box. The trick is to add the width and height of text directly to the text data frame. Here is an example

Labels <- c("Alabama", "Alaska", "Arizona", "Arkansas", 
    "Pennsylvania + California")
TextFrame <- data.frame(X = 4:8, Y = 4:8, LAB = Labels)
TextFrame <- transform(TextFrame,
    w = strwidth(LAB, 'inches') + 0.25,
    h = strheight(LAB, 'inches') + 0.25
)

ggplot(data = SampleFrame,aes(x = X, y = Y)) + 
  geom_point(size = 20) +
  geom_rect(data = TextFrame, aes(xmin = X - w/2, xmax = X + w/2, 
    ymin = Y - h/2, ymax = Y + h/2), fill = "grey80") +
  geom_text(data = TextFrame,aes(x = X, y = Y, label = LAB), size = 4)

Answer 3

Update for ggplot2 1.0.1

GeomText2 <- proto(ggplot2:::GeomText, {
  objname <- "text2"

  draw <- function(., data, scales, coordinates, ..., parse = FALSE, na.rm = FALSE
                    ,hjust = 0.5, vjust = 0.5
                    ,expand = c(1.1,1.2), bgcol = "black", bgfill = "white", bgalpha = 1) {
    data <- remove_missing(data, na.rm, c("x", "y", "label"), name = "geom_text")

    lab <- data$label
    if (parse) {
      lab <- parse(text = lab)
    }

    with(coord_transform(coordinates, data, scales),{
        sizes <- llply(1:nrow(data),
            function(i) with(data[i, ], {
                grobs <- textGrob(lab[i], default.units="native", rot=angle, gp=gpar(fontsize=size * .pt))
                list(w = grobWidth(grobs), h = grobHeight(grobs))
            })
        )
        w <- do.call(unit.c, lapply(sizes, "[[", "w"))
        h <- do.call(unit.c, lapply(sizes, "[[", "h"))
        gList(rectGrob(x, y,
                     width = w * expand[1], 
                     height = h * expand[length(expand)],
                     just = c(hjust,vjust),
                     gp = gpar(col = alpha(bgcol, bgalpha), fill = alpha(bgfill, bgalpha))),
            .super$draw(., data, scales, coordinates, ..., parse))
    })
  }
})

geom_text2 <- function (mapping = NULL, data = NULL, stat = "identity", position = "identity",parse = FALSE, ...) {
  GeomText2$new(mapping = mapping, data = data, stat = stat, position = position, parse = parse, ...)
}

Answer 4

In the development version of ggplot2 package there is a new geom called geom_label() that implements this directly. Transperency can be atchieved with alpha= parameter.

ggplot(data = SampleFrame,
       aes(x = X, y = Y)) + geom_point(size = 20)+ 
        geom_label(data = TextFrame,
                         aes(x = X, y = Y, label = LAB),alpha=0.5)

Answer 5

Update for ggplot2 v0.9

library(ggplot2)
library(proto)

btextGrob <- function (label,x = unit(0.5, "npc"), y = unit(0.5, "npc"), 
    just = "centre", hjust = NULL, vjust = NULL, rot = 0, check.overlap = FALSE, 
    default.units = "npc", name = NULL, gp = gpar(), vp = NULL,  f=1.5) {
    if (!is.unit(x)) 
      x <- unit(x, default.units)
    if (!is.unit(y)) 
      y <- unit(y, default.units)
    grob(label = label, x = x, y = y, just = just, hjust = hjust, 
         vjust = vjust, rot = rot, check.overlap = check.overlap, 
         name = name, gp = gp, vp = vp, cl = "text")
    tg <- textGrob(label = label, x = x, y = y, just = just, hjust = hjust, 
                   vjust = vjust, rot = rot, check.overlap = check.overlap)
    w <- unit(rep(1, length(label)), "strwidth", as.list(label))
    h <- unit(rep(1, length(label)), "strheight", as.list(label))
    rg <- rectGrob(x=x, y=y, width=f*w, height=f*h,
                   gp=gpar(fill="white", alpha=0.3,  col=NA))

    gTree(children=gList(rg, tg), vp=vp, gp=gp, name=name)
  }

GeomText2 <- proto(ggplot2:::GeomText, {
  objname <- "text2"

  draw <- function(., data, scales, coordinates, ..., parse = FALSE, na.rm = FALSE) {
    data <- remove_missing(data, na.rm, 
      c("x", "y", "label"), name = "geom_text2")

    lab <- data$label
    if (parse) {
      lab <- parse(text = lab)
    }

    with(coord_transform(coordinates, data, scales),
      btextGrob(lab, x, y, default.units="native", 
        hjust=hjust, vjust=vjust, rot=angle, 
        gp = gpar(col = alpha(colour, alpha), fontsize = size * .pt,
          fontfamily = family, fontface = fontface, lineheight = lineheight))
    )
  }

})

geom_text2 <- function (mapping = NULL, data = NULL, stat = "identity", position = "identity", 
parse = FALSE,  ...) { 
  GeomText2$new(mapping = mapping, data = data, stat = stat,position = position, 
  parse = parse, ...)
}


qplot(wt, mpg, data = mtcars, label = rownames(mtcars), size = wt) +
   geom_text2(colour = "red")

Answer 6

Try this geom, which is slightly modified from GeomText.

GeomText2 <- proto(GeomText, {
  objname <- "text2"
  draw <- function(., data, scales, coordinates, ..., parse = FALSE,
                   expand = 1.2, bgcol = "grey50", bgfill = NA, bgalpha = 1) {
    lab <- data$label
    if (parse) {
      lab <- parse(text = lab)
    }

    with(coordinates$transform(data, scales), {
      tg <- do.call("mapply",
        c(function(...) {
            tg <- with(list(...), textGrob(lab, default.units="native", rot=angle, gp=gpar(fontsize=size * .pt)))
            list(w = grobWidth(tg), h = grobHeight(tg))
          }, data))
      gList(rectGrob(x, y,
                     width = do.call(unit.c, tg["w",]) * expand,
                     height = do.call(unit.c, tg["h",]) * expand,
                     gp = gpar(col = alpha(bgcol, bgalpha), fill = alpha(bgfill, bgalpha))),
            .super$draw(., data, scales, coordinates, ..., parse))
    })
  }
})

geom_text2 <- GeomText2$build_accessor()

Labels <- c("Alabama", "Alaska", "Arizona", "Arkansas")
SampleFrame <- data.frame(X = 1:10, Y = 1:10)
TextFrame <- data.frame(X = 4:7, Y = 4:7, LAB = Labels)

Plot <- ggplot(data = SampleFrame, aes(x = X, y = Y)) + geom_point(size = 20)
Plot <- Plot + geom_text2(data = TextFrame, aes(x = X, y = Y, label = LAB),
                          size = 5, expand = 1.5, bgcol = "green", bgfill = "skyblue", bgalpha = 0.8)
print(Plot)

BUG FIXED AND CODE IMPROVED

GeomText2 <- proto(GeomText, {
  objname <- "text2"
  draw <- function(., data, scales, coordinates, ..., parse = FALSE,
                   expand = 1.2, bgcol = "grey50", bgfill = NA, bgalpha = 1) {
    lab <- data$label
    if (parse) {
      lab <- parse(text = lab)
    }
    with(coordinates$transform(data, scales), {
      sizes <- llply(1:nrow(data),
        function(i) with(data[i, ], {
          grobs <- textGrob(lab[i], default.units="native", rot=angle, gp=gpar(fontsize=size * .pt))
          list(w = grobWidth(grobs), h = grobHeight(grobs))
        }))

      gList(rectGrob(x, y,
                     width = do.call(unit.c, lapply(sizes, "[[", "w")) * expand,
                     height = do.call(unit.c, lapply(sizes, "[[", "h")) * expand,
                     gp = gpar(col = alpha(bgcol, bgalpha), fill = alpha(bgfill, bgalpha))),
            .super$draw(., data, scales, coordinates, ..., parse))
    })
  }
})

geom_text2 <- GeomText2$build_accessor()