diff --git a/axis.go b/axis.go
index d1f13743..4264e35b 100644
--- a/axis.go
+++ b/axis.go
@@ -15,13 +15,15 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gonum/plot/vg/draw"
 )
 
-// displayPrecision is a sane level of float precision for a plot.
+// displayPrecision default level of float precision for a plot.
 const displayPrecision = 4
 
 // Ticker creates Ticks in a specified range
 type Ticker interface {
-	// Ticks returns Ticks in a specified range
-	Ticks(min, max float64) []Tick
+	// Ticks returns Ticks in a specified range and formatted according to the
+	// given format function.
+	// When format is nil DefaultTickFormat is used.
+	Ticks(min, max float64, format func(v float64, prec int) string) []Tick
 }
 
 // Normalizer rescales values from the data coordinate system to the
@@ -74,6 +76,10 @@ type Axis struct {
 		// returned by the Marker function that are not in
 		// range of the axis are not drawn.
 		Marker Ticker
+
+		// Format function used to format the Axis Ticks.
+		// When format is nil DefaultTickFormat is used.
+		Format func(v float64, prec int) string
 	}
 
 	// Scale transforms a value given in the data coordinate system
@@ -129,6 +135,7 @@ func makeAxis(orientation bool) (Axis, error) {
 	}
 	a.Tick.Length = vg.Points(8)
 	a.Tick.Marker = DefaultTicks{}
+	a.Tick.Format = DefaultTickFormat
 
 	return a, nil
 }
@@ -200,7 +207,7 @@ func (a *horizontalAxis) size() (h vg.Length) {
 		h -= a.Label.Font.Extents().Descent
 		h += a.Label.Height(a.Label.Text)
 	}
-	if marks := a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max); len(marks) > 0 {
+	if marks := a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max, a.Tick.Format); len(marks) > 0 {
 		if a.drawTicks() {
 			h += a.Tick.Length
 		}
@@ -220,7 +227,7 @@ func (a *horizontalAxis) draw(c draw.Canvas) {
 		y += a.Label.Height(a.Label.Text)
 	}
 
-	marks := a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max)
+	marks := a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max, a.Tick.Format)
 	ticklabelheight := tickLabelHeight(a.Tick.Label, marks)
 	for _, t := range marks {
 		x := c.X(a.Norm(t.Value))
@@ -254,7 +261,7 @@ func (a *horizontalAxis) draw(c draw.Canvas) {
 
 // GlyphBoxes returns the GlyphBoxes for the tick labels.
 func (a *horizontalAxis) GlyphBoxes(*Plot) (boxes []GlyphBox) {
-	for _, t := range a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max) {
+	for _, t := range a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max, a.Tick.Format) {
 		if t.IsMinor() {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -278,7 +285,7 @@ func (a *verticalAxis) size() (w vg.Length) {
 		w -= a.Label.Font.Extents().Descent
 		w += a.Label.Height(a.Label.Text)
 	}
-	if marks := a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max); len(marks) > 0 {
+	if marks := a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max, a.Tick.Format); len(marks) > 0 {
 		if lwidth := tickLabelWidth(a.Tick.Label, marks); lwidth > 0 {
 			w += lwidth
 			w += a.Label.Width(" ")
@@ -302,7 +309,7 @@ func (a *verticalAxis) draw(c draw.Canvas) {
 		c.FillText(sty, vg.Point{X: x, Y: c.Center().Y}, a.Label.Text)
 		x += -a.Label.Font.Extents().Descent
 	}
-	marks := a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max)
+	marks := a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max, a.Tick.Format)
 	if w := tickLabelWidth(a.Tick.Label, marks); len(marks) > 0 && w > 0 {
 		x += w
 	}
@@ -335,7 +342,7 @@ func (a *verticalAxis) draw(c draw.Canvas) {
 
 // GlyphBoxes returns the GlyphBoxes for the tick labels
 func (a *verticalAxis) GlyphBoxes(*Plot) (boxes []GlyphBox) {
-	for _, t := range a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max) {
+	for _, t := range a.Tick.Marker.Ticks(a.Min, a.Max, a.Tick.Format) {
 		if t.IsMinor() {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -355,7 +362,7 @@ type DefaultTicks struct{}
 var _ Ticker = DefaultTicks{}
 
 // Ticks returns Ticks in a specified range
-func (DefaultTicks) Ticks(min, max float64) (ticks []Tick) {
+func (DefaultTicks) Ticks(min, max float64, format func(v float64, prec int) string) (ticks []Tick) {
 	const SuggestedTicks = 3
 	if max < min {
 		panic("illegal range")
@@ -379,7 +386,7 @@ func (DefaultTicks) Ticks(min, max float64) (ticks []Tick) {
 	prec := precisionOf(majorDelta)
 	for val <= max {
 		if val >= min && val <= max {
-			ticks = append(ticks, Tick{Value: val, Label: formatFloatTick(val, prec)})
+			ticks = append(ticks, Tick{Value: val, Label: format(val, prec)})
 		}
 		if math.Nextafter(val, val+majorDelta) == val {
 			break
@@ -421,7 +428,7 @@ type LogTicks struct{}
 var _ Ticker = LogTicks{}
 
 // Ticks returns Ticks in a specified range
-func (LogTicks) Ticks(min, max float64) []Tick {
+func (LogTicks) Ticks(min, max float64, format func(v float64, prec int) string) []Tick {
 	var ticks []Tick
 	val := math.Pow10(int(math.Floor(math.Log10(min))))
 	if min <= 0 {
@@ -432,13 +439,13 @@ func (LogTicks) Ticks(min, max float64) []Tick {
 		for i := 1; i < 10; i++ {
 			tick := Tick{Value: val * float64(i)}
 			if i == 1 {
-				tick.Label = formatFloatTick(val*float64(i), prec)
+				tick.Label = format(val*float64(i), prec)
 			}
 			ticks = append(ticks, tick)
 		}
 		val *= 10
 	}
-	tick := Tick{Value: val, Label: formatFloatTick(val, prec)}
+	tick := Tick{Value: val, Label: format(val, prec)}
 	ticks = append(ticks, tick)
 	return ticks
 }
@@ -450,7 +457,7 @@ type ConstantTicks []Tick
 var _ Ticker = ConstantTicks{}
 
 // Ticks returns Ticks in a specified range
-func (ts ConstantTicks) Ticks(float64, float64) []Tick {
+func (ts ConstantTicks) Ticks(float64, float64, func(v float64, prec int) string) []Tick {
 	return ts
 }
 
@@ -482,7 +489,7 @@ type TimeTicks struct {
 var _ Ticker = TimeTicks{}
 
 // Ticks implements plot.Ticker.
-func (t TimeTicks) Ticks(min, max float64) []Tick {
+func (t TimeTicks) Ticks(min, max float64, format func(v float64, prec int) string) []Tick {
 	if t.Ticker == nil {
 		t.Ticker = DefaultTicks{}
 	}
@@ -493,7 +500,7 @@ func (t TimeTicks) Ticks(min, max float64) []Tick {
 		t.Time = UTCUnixTime
 	}
 
-	ticks := t.Ticker.Ticks(min, max)
+	ticks := t.Ticker.Ticks(min, max, format)
 	for i := range ticks {
 		tick := &ticks[i]
 		if tick.Label == "" {
@@ -570,9 +577,9 @@ func log(x float64) float64 {
 	return math.Log(x)
 }
 
-// formatFloatTick returns a g-formated string representation of v
+// DefaultTickFormat returns a g-formated string representation of v
 // to the specified precision.
-func formatFloatTick(v float64, prec int) string {
+func DefaultTickFormat(v float64, prec int) string {
 	return strconv.FormatFloat(floats.Round(v, prec), 'g', displayPrecision, 64)
 }
 
diff --git a/axis_test.go b/axis_test.go
index 32f49b2f..7e7a81a7 100644
--- a/axis_test.go
+++ b/axis_test.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package plot
 import (
 	"math"
 	"reflect"
+	"strconv"
 	"testing"
 )
 
@@ -14,35 +15,49 @@ func TestAxisSmallTick(t *testing.T) {
 	d := DefaultTicks{}
 	for _, test := range []struct {
 		min, max float64
+		format   func(v float64, prec int) string
 		want     []string
 	}{
 		{
-			min:  -1.9846500878911073,
-			max:  0.4370974820125605,
-			want: []string{"-1.6", "-0.8", "0"},
+			min:    -1.9846500878911073,
+			max:    0.4370974820125605,
+			format: DefaultTickFormat,
+			want:   []string{"-1.6", "-0.8", "0"},
 		},
 		{
-			min:  -1.985e-15,
-			max:  0.4371e-15,
-			want: []string{"-1.6e-15", "-8e-16", "0"},
+			min:    -1.985e-15,
+			max:    0.4371e-15,
+			format: DefaultTickFormat,
+			want:   []string{"-1.6e-15", "-8e-16", "0"},
 		},
 		{
-			min:  -1.985e15,
-			max:  0.4371e15,
-			want: []string{"-1.6e+15", "-8e+14", "0"},
+			min:    -1.985e15,
+			max:    0.4371e15,
+			format: DefaultTickFormat,
+			want:   []string{"-1.6e+15", "-8e+14", "0"},
 		},
 		{
-			min:  math.MaxFloat64 / 4,
-			max:  math.MaxFloat64 / 3,
-			want: []string{"4.8e+307", "5.2e+307", "5.6e+307"},
+			min:    math.MaxFloat64 / 4,
+			max:    math.MaxFloat64 / 3,
+			format: DefaultTickFormat,
+			want:   []string{"4.8e+307", "5.2e+307", "5.6e+307"},
 		},
 		{
-			min:  0.00010,
-			max:  0.00015,
-			want: []string{"0.0001", "0.00011", "0.00012", "0.00013", "0.00014"},
+			min:    0.00010,
+			max:    0.00015,
+			format: DefaultTickFormat,
+			want:   []string{"0.0001", "0.00011", "0.00012", "0.00013", "0.00014"},
+		},
+		{
+			min: 0.0001,
+			max: 0.0005,
+			format: func(v float64, prec int) string {
+				return strconv.FormatFloat(v, 'e', 1, 64)
+			},
+			want: []string{"1.0e-04", "2.0e-04", "3.0e-04", "4.0e-04", "5.0e-04"},
 		},
 	} {
-		ticks := d.Ticks(test.min, test.max)
+		ticks := d.Ticks(test.min, test.max, test.format)
 		got := labelsOf(ticks)
 		if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, test.want) {
 			t.Errorf("tick labels mismatch:\ngot: %q\nwant:%q", got, test.want)
diff --git a/gob/gob_test.go b/gob/gob_test.go
index c1b7239f..801843e9 100644
--- a/gob/gob_test.go
+++ b/gob/gob_test.go
@@ -129,8 +129,8 @@ func randomPoints(n int, rnd *rand.Rand) plotter.XYs {
 // into the labels for the major tick marks.
 type commaTicks struct{}
 
-func (commaTicks) Ticks(min, max float64) []plot.Tick {
-	tks := plot.DefaultTicks{}.Ticks(min, max)
+func (commaTicks) Ticks(min, max float64, format func(v float64, prec int) string) []plot.Tick {
+	tks := plot.DefaultTicks{}.Ticks(min, max, format)
 	for i, t := range tks {
 		if t.Label == "" { // Skip minor ticks, they are fine.
 			continue
diff --git a/plotter/grid.go b/plotter/grid.go
index 55040686..8721d152 100644
--- a/plotter/grid.go
+++ b/plotter/grid.go
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func (g *Grid) Plot(c draw.Canvas, plt *plot.Plot) {
 	if g.Vertical.Color == nil {
 		goto horiz
 	}
-	for _, tk := range plt.X.Tick.Marker.Ticks(plt.X.Min, plt.X.Max) {
+	for _, tk := range plt.X.Tick.Marker.Ticks(plt.X.Min, plt.X.Max, plt.X.Tick.Format) {
 		if tk.IsMinor() {
 			continue
 		}
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ horiz:
 	if g.Horizontal.Color == nil {
 		return
 	}
-	for _, tk := range plt.Y.Tick.Marker.Ticks(plt.Y.Min, plt.Y.Max) {
+	for _, tk := range plt.Y.Tick.Marker.Ticks(plt.Y.Min, plt.Y.Max, plt.Y.Tick.Format) {
 		if tk.IsMinor() {
 			continue
 		}