FiveThirtyEight ggplot2 theme from http://minimaxir.com/2015/02/ggplot-tutorial/

fte_theme.R

# FiveThirtyEight ggplot2 theme from http://minimaxir.com/2015/02/ggplot-tutorial/
fte_theme <- function() {

  # Generate the colors for the chart procedurally with RColorBrewer
  palette <- brewer.pal("Greys", n=9)
  color.background = palette[2]
  color.grid.major = palette[3]
  color.axis.text = palette[6]
  color.axis.title = palette[7]
  color.title = palette[9]

  # Begin construction of chart
  theme_bw(base_size=9) +

  # Set the entire chart region to a light gray color
  theme(panel.background=element_rect(fill=color.background, color=color.background)) +
  theme(plot.background=element_rect(fill=color.background, color=color.background)) +
  theme(panel.border=element_rect(color=color.background)) +

  # Format the grid
  theme(panel.grid.major=element_line(color=color.grid.major,size=.25)) +
  theme(panel.grid.minor=element_blank()) +
  theme(axis.ticks=element_blank()) +

  # Format the legend, but hide by default
  theme(legend.position="none") +
  theme(legend.background = element_rect(fill=color.background)) +
  theme(legend.text = element_text(size=7,color=color.axis.title)) +

  # Set title and axis labels, and format these and tick marks
  theme(plot.title=element_text(color=color.title, size=10, vjust=1.25)) +
  theme(axis.text.x=element_text(size=7,color=color.axis.text)) +
  theme(axis.text.y=element_text(size=7,color=color.axis.text)) +
  theme(axis.title.x=element_text(size=8,color=color.axis.title, vjust=0)) +
  theme(axis.title.y=element_text(size=8,color=color.axis.title, vjust=1.25)) +

  # Plot margins
  theme(plot.margin = unit(c(0.35, 0.2, 0.3, 0.35), "cm"))
}