# SetOption for AxesStyle and AxesLabels differently

I can set the Options for Plot as:

SetOptions[
Plot,
AxesStyle ->
{{Black, 14, Italic, FontFamily -> "Times"},
{Black, 14, Italic, FontFamily -> "Times"}}];


But it also changes the style on the labels themselves (which I want in a different style), e.g., "x" and "y" in this example:

Plot[Cos[x],
{x, -5, 5},
AxesLabel -> {"x", "y"}]


How can I set the Options for the added labels to be separate from the rest of the AxesStyle? As an example, suppose I want the "x" and "y" to be Red, Bold, and 28 points?

Of course I can hand code those styles each time into the AxesLabel specifications, but I'd like to do it with Options.

• Add the options FontColor -> Red, FontWeight -> Bold when you set AxesStyle? – kglr Dec 19 '19 at 2:41
• @kglr: Nope. Doesn't work: It makes all the text red. And note that I want the size of the axes ticks to be different from the "x" and "y" labels too. – David G. Stork Dec 19 '19 at 2:43
• sorry; i see... – kglr Dec 19 '19 at 2:45
• maybe add the option TicksStyle -> FontColor -> Black to override the FontColor ->Red in set in AxesStyle? – kglr Dec 19 '19 at 2:49
• @kglr: You set me on the right track; override was the key. SetOptions[Plot, Sequence[ AxesStyle -> {{28, Italic, FontFamily -> "Times", FontColor -> Red}, {28, Italic, FontFamily -> "Times", FontColor -> Red}}], TicksStyle -> {{14, FontColor -> Black}, {14, FontColor -> Black}}]; Post that and I'll accept it. – David G. Stork Dec 19 '19 at 2:53

You can override the font settings given in AxesStyle using TicksStyle:
SetOptions[Plot,

• I really do dislike how TicksStyle is misnamed... it's really more like TickLabelStyle. – b3m2a1 Dec 19 '19 at 8:32