Save python figure with outside elements

fig.savefig(fig_title, bbox_extra_artists=(lgd,), bbox_inches='tight')

Merge WGSS Illumina fwd and reverse reads with PEAR

/home/ubuntu/bin/PEAR/bin/pear-0.9.6-bin-64
-f 160318Run_D16-2488_1_sequence.fastq
-r 160318Run_D16-2488_2_sequence.fastq
-o 160318Run_D16-2488_merged.fastq

Make legend outside the box - Python

Put the legend to the right of the axis, outside the axes. Also grab the legend object. bbox_to_anchor determines where relative to the axis object the legend is.

lgd = ax.legend(loc='center left', bbox_to_anchor=(1, 0.5))

Then when you save, tell savefig that it needs to not freak out about the legend:

fig.savefig(fig_title, bbox_extra_artists=(lgd,), bbox_inches='tight')