diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1f4aab0..2c353b4 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 *.pdf
 *.eps
 *-solutions.tex
+*.pyc
 .#*
 #*#
 *~
diff --git a/plotstyle.py b/plotstyle.py
index 511e282..ae13d03 100644
--- a/plotstyle.py
+++ b/plotstyle.py
@@ -1,12 +1,15 @@
 import matplotlib as mpl
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 
-xkcd_style = True
+xkcd_style = False
 
 # default size of figure:
 figure_width = 15.0  # cm, should be set according to \textwidth in the latex document
 figure_height = 6.0  # cm, for a 1 x 2 figure
 
+# points per inch:
+ppi = 72.0
+
 # colors:
 colors = {
     'red': '#CC0000',
@@ -14,7 +17,7 @@ colors = {
     'lightorange': '#FFCC00',
     'yellow': '#FFFF66',
     'green': '#99FF00',
-    'blue': '#0000FF'
+    'blue': '#0000CC'
 }
 
 
@@ -43,6 +46,47 @@ def cm_size(*args):
         return [v/inch_per_cm for v in args]
 
 
+def adjust_fs(fig=None, left=5.5, right=0.5, bottom=2.8, top=0.5):
+    """ Compute plot margins from multiples of the current font size.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    fig: matplotlib.figure or None
+        The figure from which the figure size is taken. If None use the current figure.
+    left: float
+        the left margin of the plots given in multiples of the width of a character
+        (in fact, simply 60% of the current font size).
+    right: float
+        the right margin of the plots given in multiples of the width of a character
+        (in fact, simply 60% of the current font size).
+        *Note:* in contrast to the matplotlib `right` parameters, this specifies the
+        width of the right margin, not its position relative to the origin.
+    bottom: float
+        the bottom margin of the plots given in multiples of the height of a character
+        (the current font size).
+    top: float
+        the right margin of the plots given in multiples of the height of a character
+        (the current font size).
+        *Note:* in contrast to the matplotlib `top` parameters, this specifies the
+        width of the top margin, not its position relative to the origin.
+
+    Example
+    -------
+    ```
+    fig, axs = plt.subplots(2, 2, figsize=(10, 5))
+    fig.subplots_adjust(**adjust_fs(fig, left=4.5))   # no matter what the figsize is!
+    ```
+    """
+    if fig is None:
+        fig = plt.gcf()
+    w, h = fig.get_size_inches()*ppi
+    fs = plt.rcParams['font.size']
+    return { 'left': left*0.6*fs/w,
+             'right': 1.0 - right*0.6*fs/w,
+             'bottom': bottom*fs/h,
+             'top': 1.0 - top*fs/h }
+
+
 def show_spines(ax, spines):
     """ Show and hide spines.
 
@@ -138,12 +182,12 @@ else:
     mpl.rcParams['ytick.major.size'] = 2.5
     mpl.rcParams['legend.fontsize'] = 'x-small'
 mpl.rcParams['figure.figsize'] = cm_size(figure_width, figure_height)
-mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.left'] = 0.11
-mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.right'] = 0.99
-mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.bottom'] = 0.23
-mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.top'] = 0.96
+mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.left'] = 5.5*0.6*mpl.rcParams['font.size']/cm_size(figure_width)/ppi
+mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.right'] = 1.0 - 0.5*0.6*mpl.rcParams['font.size']/cm_size(figure_width)/ppi
+mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.bottom'] = 2.8*mpl.rcParams['font.size']/cm_size(figure_height)/ppi
+mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.top'] = 1.0 - 0.5*mpl.rcParams['font.size']/cm_size(figure_height)/ppi
 mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.wspace'] = 0.4
-mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.hspace'] = 0.2
+mpl.rcParams['figure.subplot.hspace'] = 0.6
 mpl.rcParams['figure.facecolor'] = 'white'
 #mpl.rcParams['axes.spines.left'] = True    # newer matplotlib only
 #mpl.rcParams['axes.spines.bottom'] = True
diff --git a/simulations/lecture/normaldata.py b/simulations/lecture/normaldata.py
index b79a960..83e7459 100644
--- a/simulations/lecture/normaldata.py
+++ b/simulations/lecture/normaldata.py
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     data = sigma*rng.randn(len(indices))+mu
 
     fig = plt.figure()
-    spec = gridspec.GridSpec(nrows=1, ncols=2, width_ratios=[3, 1], left=0.12, wspace=0.08)
+    spec = gridspec.GridSpec(nrows=1, ncols=2, width_ratios=[3, 1], wspace=0.08,
+                             **adjust_fs(fig, left=6.0))
     ax1 = fig.add_subplot(spec[0, 0])
     show_spines(ax1, 'lb')
     ax1.scatter(indices, data, c=colors['blue'], edgecolor='white', s=50)
diff --git a/simulations/lecture/randomnumbers.py b/simulations/lecture/randomnumbers.py
index 8795205..b4777b2 100644
--- a/simulations/lecture/randomnumbers.py
+++ b/simulations/lecture/randomnumbers.py
@@ -21,9 +21,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     corrs = [np.corrcoef(x[maxl:-maxl-1-l], x[maxl+l:-maxl-1])[0, 1] for l in lags]
 
     fig = plt.figure(figsize=cm_size(figure_width, 1.8*figure_height))
-    spec = gridspec.GridSpec(nrows=2, ncols=2,
-                             left=0.11, bottom=0.12, right=0.98, top=0.97,
-                             wspace=0.4, hspace=0.6)
+    spec = gridspec.GridSpec(nrows=2, ncols=2, **adjust_fs(fig))
     
     ax = fig.add_subplot(spec[0, 0])
     show_spines(ax, 'lb')
diff --git a/simulations/lecture/staticnonlinearity.py b/simulations/lecture/staticnonlinearity.py
index 627dc0d..a06d978 100644
--- a/simulations/lecture/staticnonlinearity.py
+++ b/simulations/lecture/staticnonlinearity.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     yy = boltzmann(xx, x0, k)
 
     fig = plt.figure()
-    spec = gridspec.GridSpec(nrows=1, ncols=2, left=0.1, wspace=0.4)
+    spec = gridspec.GridSpec(nrows=1, ncols=2, **adjust_fs(fig, left=4.5))
     ax1 = fig.add_subplot(spec[0, 0])
     show_spines(ax1, 'lb')
     ax1.plot(xx, yy, colors['red'], lw=2)