glow_effect.R

# Inspired by: https://gist.github.com/MattSandy/7b48568f37d7069adc9313fff9b67865

# Libraries
library(ggplot2)
library(babynames) # provide the dataset: a dataframe called babynames
library(dplyr)

# Keep only 3 names
don <- babynames %>% 
  filter(name %in% c("Ashley", "Patricia", "Helen")) %>%
  filter(sex=="F")

lineplot <- ggplot(don, aes(x=year, y=n, group=name)) +
  # Stack lines and areas on top of each other to create a glow effect
  geom_area(fill = "#5087c7", alpha=0.1, data = don %>% filter(name=="Ashley")) +
  geom_area(fill = "#c78650", alpha=0.1, data = don %>% filter(name=="Patricia")) + 
  geom_area(fill = "#c7c150", alpha=0.1, data = don %>% filter(name=="Helen")) + 
  
  geom_line(color = "#5087c7", alpha=0.1,  size= 4, data = don %>% filter(name=="Ashley")) +
  geom_line(color = "#5087c7", alpha=0.1,  size= 3, data = don %>% filter(name=="Ashley")) +
  geom_line(color = "#5087c7", alpha=0.2,  size= 2, data = don %>% filter(name=="Ashley")) +
  geom_line(color = "#5087c7", alpha=.2,  size= 1, data = don %>% filter(name=="Ashley")) +
  geom_line(color = "#5087c7", alpha=1,  size= .5, data = don %>% filter(name=="Ashley")) +
  
  geom_line(color = "#c78650", alpha=0.1,  size= 4, data = don %>% filter(name=="Patricia")) +
  geom_line(color = "#c78650", alpha=0.1,  size= 3, data = don %>% filter(name=="Patricia")) +
  geom_line(color = "#c78650", alpha=0.2,  size= 2, data = don %>% filter(name=="Patricia")) +
  geom_line(color = "#c78650", alpha=.2,  size= 1, data = don %>% filter(name=="Patricia")) +
  geom_line(color = "#c78650", alpha=1,  size= .5, data = don %>% filter(name=="Patricia")) +
  
  geom_line(color = "#c7c150", alpha=0.1,  size= 4, data = don %>% filter(name=="Helen")) +
  geom_line(color = "#c7c150", alpha=0.1,  size= 3, data = don %>% filter(name=="Helen")) +
  geom_line(color = "#c7c150", alpha=0.2,  size= 2, data = don %>% filter(name=="Helen")) +
  geom_line(color = "#c7c150", alpha=.2,  size= 1, data = don %>% filter(name=="Helen")) +
  geom_line(color = "#c7c150", alpha=1,  size= .5, data = don %>% filter(name=="Helen")) +
  
  # Standard theme
  theme(
    panel.grid.major = element_blank() # Remove gridlines (major)
    ,panel.grid.minor = element_blank() # Remove gridlines (minor)
    ,panel.background = element_blank() # Remove grey background
    ,plot.title = element_text(hjust = 0, size = 20, colour = "#323232") # Title size and colour
    ,plot.subtitle = element_text(hjust = 0, size = 12, colour = "#323232") # Subtitle size and colour
    ,plot.caption = element_text(vjust = 0.3, size = 12, colour = "#323232") # Caption size and colour
    ,axis.ticks.y = element_blank() # Remove tick marks (Y-Axis)
    ,axis.text.y = element_text(hjust = 1, colour = "#323232", size = 12) # Axis size and colour (Y-Axis)
    ,axis.title.y = element_text(size = 12, colour = "#323232") # Axis label size and colour (Y-Axis)
    ,axis.ticks.x = element_blank() # Remove tick marks (X-Axis)
    ,axis.text.x  = element_text(hjust = 1, colour = "#323232", size = 12) # Axis size and colour (X-Axis)
    ,axis.title.x = element_text(size = 12, colour = "#323232") # Axis label size and colour (X-Axis)
    ,legend.position = "bottom"
  ) +
  labs(title = 'My awesome descriptive title' # Title text
       ,subtitle = "Note: this is a subtitle" # Subtitle text
       ,x = 'Year' # X-Axis text 
       ,y = 'Value (units)' # Y-Axis text 
       ,caption = "Author: My Name, Source: ") + # Caption text
  scale_y_continuous(limits = c(
    ifelse(min(don$n)>=0,0,min(don$n)*1.05) # Minimum Y-Axis scale
    ,max(don$n)*1.05) # Maximum Y-Axis scale 
    ,expand = c(0,0) # Removing blank space around plot (Y-Axis)
  ) 

# Save the plot
ggsave("glow_effect.png" # filename
       ,plot = lineplot # variable for file
       ,width = 5, height = 4, dpi = 300, units = "in") # dimensions and image quality