Consider paddedTextGrob

[hadley]

Works the same way as textGrob() but has a length-4 vector defining padding around the grob. Would be used to theme the padding around labels. Currently it defaults to a fixed value which tends to be too small when font sizes get larger

[hadley]

base <- ggplot(df, aes(x, y)) + 
  geom_point() + 
  ylab("a longer\nlabel")

axis_y_title <- function(hjust, vjust, angle = 0, t = 0, b = 0, r = 0, l = 0) {
  marg <- margin(t, r, b, l)
  theme(axis.title.y = 
    element_text(margin = marg, hjust = hjust, vjust = vjust, angle = angle)
  )
}


# Centered: bottom, middle, top [OK]
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0.5, vjust = 0)
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0.5, vjust = 0.5)
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0.5, vjust = 1)

# Left aligned: bottom, middle, top [OK]
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0, vjust = 0)
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0, vjust = 0.5)
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0, vjust = 1)

# Now add larger margin on right
# [NOT OK: margin on both sides]
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0.5, vjust = 0, r = 100)
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0.5, vjust = 0.5, r = 100)
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0.5, vjust = 1, r = 100)

# Left aligned: bottom, middle, top
# [OK]
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0, vjust = 0, r = 100)
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0, vjust = 0.5, r = 100)
base + axis_y_title(hjust = 0, vjust = 1, r = 100)