diff --git a/plot_types/arrays/imshow.py b/plot_types/arrays/imshow.py
index f9c4830d54cb..7f478b883396 100644
--- a/plot_types/arrays/imshow.py
+++ b/plot_types/arrays/imshow.py
@@ -21,6 +21,6 @@
 ax.imshow(Z, extent=[0, 8, 0, 8], interpolation="nearest",
             cmap=plt.get_cmap('Blues'), vmin=0, vmax=1.6)
 
-ax.set_xticks([])
-ax.set_yticks([])
+ax.set(xticks=[], yticks=[])
+
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/arrays/quiver.py b/plot_types/arrays/quiver.py
index 29572971a371..d857fe07607c 100644
--- a/plot_types/arrays/quiver.py
+++ b/plot_types/arrays/quiver.py
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@
 plt.quiver(X, Y, U, V, color="C0", angles='xy',
             scale_units='xy', scale=0.5, width=.05)
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/basic/bar.py b/plot_types/basic/bar.py
index 560c4d5e25b3..c796a1ff20cb 100644
--- a/plot_types/basic/bar.py
+++ b/plot_types/basic/bar.py
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@
 
 ax.bar(X, Y, width=1, edgecolor="white", linewidth=0.7)
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
+
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/basic/pie.py b/plot_types/basic/pie.py
index d139f7ae214d..6cdb825e6933 100644
--- a/plot_types/basic/pie.py
+++ b/plot_types/basic/pie.py
@@ -23,9 +23,7 @@
 ax.pie(X, colors=colors, radius=3, center=(4, 4),
         wedgeprops={"linewidth": 1, "edgecolor": "white"}, frame=True)
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/basic/plot.py b/plot_types/basic/plot.py
index d149f12aef72..cc2ca13cd837 100644
--- a/plot_types/basic/plot.py
+++ b/plot_types/basic/plot.py
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@
 
 ax.plot(X, Y, linewidth=2.0)
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
+
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/basic/scatter_plot.py b/plot_types/basic/scatter_plot.py
index a204025bcf01..a7469372db6e 100644
--- a/plot_types/basic/scatter_plot.py
+++ b/plot_types/basic/scatter_plot.py
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@
 
 ax.scatter(X, Y, s=S, c=-S, cmap=plt.get_cmap('Blues'), vmin=-100, vmax=0)
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
+
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/basic/stem.py b/plot_types/basic/stem.py
index 45a2b7d95669..cd03e82f8174 100644
--- a/plot_types/basic/stem.py
+++ b/plot_types/basic/stem.py
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@
 
 ax.stem(X, Y, bottom=0, linefmt="-", markerfmt="d")
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
+
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/basic/step.py b/plot_types/basic/step.py
index c2150d57ae8c..ae8776c1c6d0 100644
--- a/plot_types/basic/step.py
+++ b/plot_types/basic/step.py
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@
 
 ax.step(X, Y, linewidth=2.5)
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
+
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/stats/barbs.py b/plot_types/stats/barbs.py
index 2ef37a0091ed..a8688bec5462 100644
--- a/plot_types/stats/barbs.py
+++ b/plot_types/stats/barbs.py
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@
 ax.barbs(X, Y, U, V, barbcolor="C0", flagcolor="C0",
             length=10, linewidth=1.5)
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/stats/boxplot_plot.py b/plot_types/stats/boxplot_plot.py
index 513e0ba81054..de3708df692b 100644
--- a/plot_types/stats/boxplot_plot.py
+++ b/plot_types/stats/boxplot_plot.py
@@ -22,9 +22,7 @@
                 whiskerprops={"color": "C0", "linewidth": 1.5},
                 capprops={"color": "C0", "linewidth": 1.5})
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/stats/errorbar_plot.py b/plot_types/stats/errorbar_plot.py
index fc2e5892bf02..e3554531462f 100644
--- a/plot_types/stats/errorbar_plot.py
+++ b/plot_types/stats/errorbar_plot.py
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@
 
 ax.errorbar(X, Y, E, linewidth=2, capsize=6)
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/stats/eventplot.py b/plot_types/stats/eventplot.py
index 535742fa555e..15bc73baa408 100644
--- a/plot_types/stats/eventplot.py
+++ b/plot_types/stats/eventplot.py
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@
 
 ax.eventplot(D, orientation="vertical", lineoffsets=X, linewidth=0.75)
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/stats/hexbin.py b/plot_types/stats/hexbin.py
index bf87bfeb0fba..cb6270c906f2 100644
--- a/plot_types/stats/hexbin.py
+++ b/plot_types/stats/hexbin.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 ax.hexbin(x, y, gridsize=20)
 
-ax.set_xlim(-2, 2)
-ax.set_ylim(-3, 3)
+ax.set(xlim=(-2, 2), ylim=(-3, 3))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/stats/hist2d.py b/plot_types/stats/hist2d.py
index 894ce5b756f5..e36c7f0717bd 100644
--- a/plot_types/stats/hist2d.py
+++ b/plot_types/stats/hist2d.py
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 
 ax.hist2d(x, y, bins=(np.arange(-3, 3, 0.1), np.arange(-3, 3, 0.1)))
 
-ax.set_xlim(-2, 2)
-ax.set_ylim(-3, 3)
+ax.set(xlim=(-2, 2), ylim=(-3, 3))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/stats/hist_plot.py b/plot_types/stats/hist_plot.py
index c59543fddb16..dae6e99fe205 100644
--- a/plot_types/stats/hist_plot.py
+++ b/plot_types/stats/hist_plot.py
@@ -17,9 +17,7 @@
 
 ax.hist(X, bins=8, linewidth=0.5, edgecolor="white")
 
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 80)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 80, 10))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/stats/violin.py b/plot_types/stats/violin.py
index df611a6d4e7c..ead0d23cab39 100644
--- a/plot_types/stats/violin.py
+++ b/plot_types/stats/violin.py
@@ -17,13 +17,10 @@
 
 VP = ax.violinplot(D, [2, 4, 6], widths=2,
                     showmeans=False, showmedians=False, showextrema=False)
-#style:
+# styling:
 for body in VP['bodies']:
     body.set_alpha(0.9)
-
-ax.set_xlim(0, 8)
-ax.set_xticks(np.arange(1, 8))
-ax.set_ylim(0, 8)
-ax.set_yticks(np.arange(1, 8))
+ax.set(xlim=(0, 8), xticks=np.arange(1, 8),
+       ylim=(0, 8), yticks=np.arange(1, 8))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/unstructured/tricontour.py b/plot_types/unstructured/tricontour.py
index 1296fe54f058..d5770cf585c8 100644
--- a/plot_types/unstructured/tricontour.py
+++ b/plot_types/unstructured/tricontour.py
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 levs = np.linspace(np.min(Z), np.max(Z), 7)
 ax.tricontourf(x, y, z, levels=levs)
 
-ax.set_xlim(-3, 3)
-ax.set_ylim(-3, 3)
+ax.set(xlim=(-3, 3), ylim=(-3, 3))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/unstructured/tripcolor.py b/plot_types/unstructured/tripcolor.py
index a414da4b7a2e..fd3400876d03 100644
--- a/plot_types/unstructured/tripcolor.py
+++ b/plot_types/unstructured/tripcolor.py
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 ax.plot(x, y, '.k', alpha=0.5)
 ax.tripcolor(x, y, z)
 
-ax.set_xlim(-3, 3)
-ax.set_ylim(-3, 3)
+ax.set(xlim=(-3, 3), ylim=(-3, 3))
 
 plt.show()
diff --git a/plot_types/unstructured/triplot.py b/plot_types/unstructured/triplot.py
index d3e74099c8c2..7ef9a8f30d7b 100644
--- a/plot_types/unstructured/triplot.py
+++ b/plot_types/unstructured/triplot.py
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 
 ax.triplot(x, y)
 
-ax.set_xlim(-3, 3)
-ax.set_ylim(-3, 3)
+ax.set(xlim=(-3, 3), ylim=(-3, 3))
 
 plt.show()