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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/davidgohel/flextable/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

flextable can be rendered as a raster or vector image using R’s grid graphics system. This is useful for including tables in presentations, reports, or composite figures.

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Save as PNG or SVG

save_as_image() saves a flextable to a PNG or SVG file. The output format is determined by the file extension: 
library(gdtools)
library(flextable)

register_liberationsans()
set_flextable_defaults(font.family = "Liberation Sans")

ft <- flextable(head(mtcars))
ft <- autofit(ft)

tf <- tempfile(fileext = ".png")
save_as_image(x = ft, path = tf)
For SVG output, the svglite package must be installed: 
tf_svg <- tempfile(fileext = ".svg")
save_as_image(x = ft, path = tf_svg)
Parameters:
ParameterDescriptionDefault
xA flextable object
pathOutput path ending in .png or .svg
expandWhite space (px) to add around the table10
resResolution of the PNG device (DPI)200
Captions set with set_caption() are not included in image output. Captions are only rendered in document formats (Word, HTML, PDF).

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Convert to a grid grob with gen_grob()

gen_grob() converts a flextable to a grob (grid graphics object). This is the function used internally by save_as_image() and the patchwork integration. 
library(ragg)
library(gdtools)
register_liberationsans()
set_flextable_defaults(font.family = "Liberation Sans")

ft <- flextable(head(mtcars))
gr <- gen_grob(ft)
plot(gr)

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fit argument

Controls how the table adapts to the drawing surface:
ValueBehavior
"auto" (default)Resize table proportionally to fill the viewport
"width"Resize columns to fit viewport width; row heights unchanged
"fixed"Use exact column widths and row heights from the table

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scaling argument

Controls how text and content sizes respond to viewport size:
ValueBehavior
"min" (default)Scale content down when viewport is smaller; do not scale up
"full"Scale content up or down to match viewport
"fixed"Never scale content

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just argument

Justification of the viewport layout within the drawing area. Accepts the same values as grid::grid.layout(just = ...). When NULL (default), justification is derived from fit.

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wrapping argument

When TRUE (default), text wraps at word boundaries. When FALSE, text only wraps at explicit newline characters.

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Getting dimensions

Use the dim() method on the grob to retrieve the rendered table size in inches: 
gr <- gen_grob(ft, fit = "fixed")
dim(gr)  # returns list with $width and $height
Equations (as_equation()) and hyperlinks (officer::hyperlink_ftext()) are not rendered by gen_grob(). Use a ragg, svglite, or ggiraph device for correct rendering.

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Combine with ggplot2 using patchwork

wrap_flextable() wraps a flextable as a patchwork-compatible patch, so it can be combined with ggplot2 plots using +, |, or / operators. 
library(gdtools)
font_set_liberation()
library(ggplot2)
library(patchwork)

set_flextable_defaults(
  font.family = "Liberation Sans",
  font.size = 10,
  big.mark = "",
  border.color = "grey60"
)

dataset <- data.frame(
  team = c(
    "FC Bayern Munchen", "SV Werder Bremen", "Borussia Dortmund",
    "VfB Stuttgart", "Borussia M'gladbach"
  ),
  matches = c(2000, 1992, 1924, 1924, 1898),
  won     = c(1206,  818,  881,  782,  763),
  lost    = c( 363,  676,  563,  673,  636)
)
dataset$win_pct  <- dataset$won  / dataset$matches * 100
dataset$loss_pct <- dataset$lost / dataset$matches * 100
dataset$team <- factor(dataset$team, levels = rev(dataset$team))

# build a ggplot2 chart
df_long <- reshape(dataset, direction = "long",
  varying = list(c("loss_pct", "win_pct")),
  v.names = "pct", timevar = "type",
  times = c("lost", "won"), idvar = "team"
)

p <- ggplot(df_long, aes(x = pct / 100, y = team)) +
  geom_point(aes(fill = type), size = 4, shape = 21) +
  scale_x_continuous(labels = scales::percent) +
  scale_y_discrete(name = NULL, guide = "none") +
  theme_minimal(base_family = "Liberation Sans", base_size = 10)

# build the flextable
ft_dat <- dataset[, c("matches", "win_pct", "loss_pct", "team")]
ft_dat$team <- as.character(ft_dat$team)

ft <- flextable(ft_dat)
ft <- border_remove(ft)
ft <- bold(ft, part = "header")
ft <- colformat_double(ft, j = c("win_pct", "loss_pct"), digits = 1, suffix = "%")
ft <- autofit(ft)

# combine with patchwork
print(
  wrap_flextable(ft, flex_body = TRUE, just = "right") +
    p + plot_layout(widths = c(1.1, 2))
)

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wrap_flextable() parameters

ParameterDescriptionDefault
xA flextable object
panelTable region aligned with the plot panel: "body", "full", "rows", "cols""body"
spaceHow table dimensions influence layout: "free", "free_x", "free_y", "fixed""free"
n_row_headersNumber of leading columns treated as row headers0
flex_bodyStretch body row heights to match adjacent plot panel heightFALSE
flex_colsStretch data column widths to match adjacent plot panel widthFALSE
expandExpansion matching ggplot2::expansion(add = expand) for discrete axes0.6
justHorizontal alignment within panel: "left", "right", "center""left"
wrap_flextable() is experimental and the API may change in future versions. It requires the patchwork and gtable packages.

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Direct ggplot2 addition

You can also add a flextable directly to a ggplot2 object using +. This calls wrap_flextable() automatically with default settings: 
p + ft  # equivalent to p + wrap_flextable(ft)

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