diff --git a/c13_mnist.py b/c13_mnist.py
index 2eb8914..0cba2e9 100755
--- a/c13_mnist.py
+++ b/c13_mnist.py
@@ -518,7 +518,7 @@ def make_fig(args):
                          "xtick.minor.width": 0.8, "ytick.minor.width": 0.8,
                          "xtick.major.size": 4.5, "ytick.major.size": 4.5})
     fig = plt.figure(figsize=(5.2, 3.9))
-    ax = fig.add_axes([0.155, 0.145, 0.82, 0.82])
+    ax = fig.add_axes([0.185, 0.145, 0.79, 0.79])
     for mkey in LAB:
         pts = sorted([(float(r["snr_db"]), float(r["ser"]))
                       for r in rows if r["method"] == mkey])
diff --git a/c18_mnist_doppler.py b/c18_mnist_doppler.py
index d080ad2..a7e9e7c 100755
--- a/c18_mnist_doppler.py
+++ b/c18_mnist_doppler.py
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ def make_fig(args):
                          "xtick.minor.width": 0.8, "ytick.minor.width": 0.8,
                          "xtick.major.size": 4.5, "ytick.major.size": 4.5})
     fig = plt.figure(figsize=(5.2, 3.9))
-    ax = fig.add_axes([0.155, 0.145, 0.82, 0.82])
+    ax = fig.add_axes([0.185, 0.145, 0.79, 0.79])
     for mkey in LAB:
         pts = sorted([(float(r["fd_norm"]), float(r["ser"]))
                       for r in rows if r["method"] == mkey])
diff --git a/c19_mnist_epoch.py b/c19_mnist_epoch.py
index 81b3bd2..f3517d6 100755
--- a/c19_mnist_epoch.py
+++ b/c19_mnist_epoch.py
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ def main():
                          "xtick.minor.width": 0.8, "ytick.minor.width": 0.8,
                          "xtick.major.size": 4.5, "ytick.major.size": 4.5})
     fig = plt.figure(figsize=(5.2, 3.9))
-    ax = fig.add_axes([0.155, 0.145, 0.82, 0.82])
+    ax = fig.add_axes([0.185, 0.145, 0.79, 0.79])
     xgrid = sorted({int(r["step"]) for r in rows
                     if r["method"] == "semantic"})
     if "digital_genie" in floors:
diff --git a/c20_bert.py b/c20_bert.py
index c7b33a2..34d4037 100755
--- a/c20_bert.py
+++ b/c20_bert.py
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ def make_fig(args):
                          "xtick.minor.width": 0.8, "ytick.minor.width": 0.8,
                          "xtick.major.size": 4.5, "ytick.major.size": 4.5})
     fig = plt.figure(figsize=(5.2, 3.9))
-    ax = fig.add_axes([0.155, 0.145, 0.82, 0.82])
+    ax = fig.add_axes([0.185, 0.145, 0.79, 0.79])
     for mkey in LAB:
         pts = sorted([(float(r["snr_db"]), float(r["ser"]))
                       for r in rows if r["method"] == mkey])
@@ -468,6 +468,14 @@ def make_fig(args):
         ax.semilogy(xs, ys, label=LAB[mkey], ms=5, lw=1.8, **STY[mkey])
     ax.set_xlabel("SNR (dB)")
     ax.set_ylabel("SER")
+    # the SER here spans less than one decade, so the default log labels
+    # are the wide "6 x 10^-1" form, which pushes the y label off canvas;
+    # plain decimals keep the axis narrow and the label inside
+    from matplotlib.ticker import FixedLocator, FixedFormatter, NullFormatter
+    yt = [0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.6]
+    ax.yaxis.set_major_locator(FixedLocator(yt))
+    ax.yaxis.set_major_formatter(FixedFormatter([f"{v:g}" for v in yt]))
+    ax.yaxis.set_minor_formatter(NullFormatter())
     ax.grid(True, which="both", alpha=0.35)
     ax.legend(fontsize=9, framealpha=1.0, labelspacing=0.3,
               handlelength=1.8, loc="center right", bbox_to_anchor=(0.985, 0.66))