diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/30183-TS.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/30183-TS.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9aad35a278f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/api/next_api_changes/behavior/30183-TS.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+savefig() pad_inches per-border specification
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+pad_inches will now accept a 4-tuple specifying the padding per border, in the order [left, right, bottom, top].
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/users/next_whats_new/pad_inches_per_border.rst b/doc/users/next_whats_new/pad_inches_per_border.rst
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..f74f0e5001b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/users/next_whats_new/pad_inches_per_border.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+savefig() pad_inches per-border specification
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+pad_inches will now accept a 4-tuple specifying the padding per border, in the order [left, right, bottom, top]. This can be used to simply and precisely modify the bounding box of what in a figure is saved to a file.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
index 527d8c010710..5f54b71edae0 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/backend_bases.py
@@ -2088,11 +2088,11 @@ def print_figure(
             Bounding box in inches: only the given portion of the figure is
             saved.  If 'tight', try to figure out the tight bbox of the figure.
 
-        pad_inches : float or 'layout', default: :rc:`savefig.pad_inches`
-            Amount of padding in inches around the figure when bbox_inches is
-            'tight'. If 'layout' use the padding from the constrained or
-            compressed layout engine; ignored if one of those engines is not in
-            use.
+        pad_inches : float, 4-tuple of floats, or 'layout',
+            default: :rc:`savefig.pad_inches`. Amount of padding in inches
+            around the figure when bbox_inches is 'tight'. If 'layout' use the
+            padding from the constrained or compressed layout engine; ignored
+            if one of those engines is not in use.
 
         bbox_extra_artists : list of `~matplotlib.artist.Artist`, optional
             A list of extra artists that will be considered when the
@@ -2161,13 +2161,20 @@ def print_figure(
                         renderer, bbox_extra_artists=bbox_extra_artists)
                     if (isinstance(layout_engine, ConstrainedLayoutEngine) and
                             pad_inches == "layout"):
-                        h_pad = layout_engine.get()["h_pad"]
-                        w_pad = layout_engine.get()["w_pad"]
+                        b_pad = t_pad = layout_engine.get()["h_pad"]
+                        l_pad = r_pad = layout_engine.get()["w_pad"]
                     else:
-                        if pad_inches in [None, "layout"]:
+                        if isinstance(pad_inches, (int, float)):
+                            l_pad = r_pad = b_pad = t_pad = pad_inches
+                        elif pad_inches in [None, "layout"]:
                             pad_inches = rcParams['savefig.pad_inches']
-                        h_pad = w_pad = pad_inches
-                    bbox_inches = bbox_inches.padded(w_pad, h_pad)
+                            l_pad = r_pad = b_pad = t_pad = pad_inches
+                        else:
+                            l_pad = pad_inches[0]
+                            r_pad = pad_inches[1]
+                            b_pad = pad_inches[2]
+                            t_pad = pad_inches[3]
+                    bbox_inches = bbox_inches.padded_4sides(l_pad, r_pad, b_pad, t_pad)
 
                 # call adjust_bbox to save only the given area
                 restore_bbox = _tight_bbox.adjust_bbox(
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
index c15da7597acd..3d9a46421a92 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/figure.py
@@ -3409,11 +3409,11 @@ def savefig(self, fname, *, transparent=None, **kwargs):
             Bounding box in inches: only the given portion of the figure is
             saved.  If 'tight', try to figure out the tight bbox of the figure.
 
-        pad_inches : float or 'layout', default: :rc:`savefig.pad_inches`
-            Amount of padding in inches around the figure when bbox_inches is
-            'tight'. If 'layout' use the padding from the constrained or
-            compressed layout engine; ignored if one of those engines is not in
-            use.
+        pad_inches : float, 4-tuple of floats, or 'layout',
+            default: :rc:`savefig.pad_inches`. Amount of padding in inches
+            around the figure when bbox_inches is 'tight'. If 'layout' use the
+            padding from the constrained or compressed layout engine; ignored
+            if one of those engines is not in use.
 
         facecolor : :mpltype:`color` or 'auto', default: :rc:`savefig.facecolor`
             The facecolor of the figure.  If 'auto', use the current figure
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py b/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py
index 7228f05bcf9e..2a55047a9a60 100644
--- a/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py
+++ b/lib/matplotlib/transforms.py
@@ -613,6 +613,14 @@ def padded(self, w_pad, h_pad=None):
             h_pad = w_pad
         return Bbox(points + [[-w_pad, -h_pad], [w_pad, h_pad]])
 
+    def padded_4sides(self, l, r, b, t):
+        """
+        Construct a `Bbox` by padding this one by a possibly different
+        amount on each side.
+        """
+        points = self.get_points()
+        return Bbox(points + [[-l, -b], [r, t]])
+
     def translated(self, tx, ty):
         """Construct a `Bbox` by translating this one by *tx* and *ty*."""
         return Bbox(self._points + (tx, ty))