How to plot nothing using gnuplot

Some times we just want to create a figure with only the axes ticks and so on, no any content (The content may be added later use some other tools). We know that if there is not a plot command, gnuplot will not create a output picture, So play some tricks should be played. In this post I will talk on two methods to plot nothing using gnuplot.

The first one is plot a line with background color.

reset
set term png font ",20" xffffff  #set png terminal and the background color is white
set output "blank.png"
set key off
set ytics 0.5
plot sin(x) with line linecolor rgb"#ffffff"
set output

The second one is plot something out of yrange.

set term png font ",20"
set output "blank.png"
set yrange [-1:1]
set key off
plot 2 with lines
set output

Maybe some other methods also exist, But this three shold be the most used and simplest ones. At last a sample picture posted. (The two methods will just creat pictures the simillar as this one.)

Plot nothing using gnuplot