Graph Settings

A graph is worth a thousand words, but only if you can see it. Adjust the window automatically with the zoom in, zoom out, and default zoom buttons, or change the view manually to get things just right. All of that, and much more, is a single wrench-click away. Get started with the video on the right, then dive deeper with the resources and challenges below.

You can change the viewing window to better fit the data you're looking at. For making easy adjustments while accessing Desmos in the browser, you can use the plus and minus signs to zoom in and out, respectively, on the coordinate plane. You can also use the house icon to go back to the default viewing window which is pre-defined depending on the screen size.

For more extensive data, you may find it easier to manually adjust the domain and range of the viewport. To do so, click on the wrench to open the Graph Settings menu and choose which axis you'd like to adjust.

If you are using a table, you can use the “Zoom Fit” to automatically adjust your viewing window to fit your data.

To disable zooming and panning the graph paper, click the Graph Settings wrench and check the “Lock Viewport” option near the bottom of the drop down menu.

Depending on what type of graph you're looking to create, you may want to turn the gridlines on or off. The grid is automatically shown on new graphs. To turn the grid off, open the Graph Settings menu by clicking on the wrench in the upper right hand corner. If the grid checkbox is enabled, the grid lines will be visible. If ‘Minor Grid’ is selected, it will show quarter marks between your step value. You can click on the polar grid icon and cartesian grid icon to toggle between the different graph papers. Creating an artsy graph? Turn the gridlines and axes off for an awesome, blank canvas.

Click on the wrench to open the graph settings menu. To show or hide one or both axes, toggle the checkbox next to each individual axis. Type in your axis label for one or both axis.

To add Pi labels to your x and y axes, click the Graph Settings wrench. Click Step and enter "pi" as the step to label that axis with multiples of π.

One of our Accessibility features is the ability to enlarge the display size. Enlarging the graph display creates a bolder view of your graph. Functions, points, axes, labels, and gridlines will all appear larger for easy display. Turn this feature on to allow students in the back of the classroom or when presenting your screen in a virtual meeting.

Graphs are not in large display mode by default. To enlarge the display, open the Graph Settings menu by clicking the wrench in the upper right hand corner. You can toggle between the default and large display using the radio buttons. Using the large display when saving a graph image or printing the graph will make the images/printouts bigger and bolder!

To set your graph to radians or degrees, click the Graph Settings wrench and click the appropriate button at the bottom of the drop down menu: