diff --git a/xbitinfo/graphics.py b/xbitinfo/graphics.py
index da89aacd..49e3cd18 100644
--- a/xbitinfo/graphics.py
+++ b/xbitinfo/graphics.py
@@ -287,8 +287,17 @@ def plot_bitinformation(bitinfo, cmap="turku", crop=None):
         subfigure_data[d]["nbits"] = (n_sign, n_exp, n_bits, n_mant, nonmantissa_bits)
         subfigure_data[d]["bits_to_show"] = bits_to_show
 
-    total_fig_height = np.sum([d["fig_height"] for d in subfigure_data])
-    fig, axs = plt.subplots(len(subfigure_data), 1, figsize=(12, total_fig_height))
+    fig_heights = [subfig["fig_height"] for subfig in subfigure_data]
+    fig = plt.figure(figsize=(12, sum(fig_heights) + 2 * 2))
+    fig_heights_incl_cax = fig_heights + [2 / (sum(fig_heights) + 2)] * 2
+    grid = fig.add_gridspec(
+        len(subfigure_data) + 2, 1, height_ratios=fig_heights_incl_cax
+    )
+
+    axs = []
+    for i in range(len(subfigure_data) + 2):
+        ax = fig.add_subplot(grid[i, 0])
+        axs.append(ax)
 
     if isinstance(axs, plt.Axes):
         axs = [axs]
@@ -332,9 +341,8 @@ def plot_bitinformation(bitinfo, cmap="turku", crop=None):
         pcm = axs[d].pcolormesh(ICnan, vmin=0, vmax=1, cmap=cmap)
 
         if d == len(subfigure_data) - 1:
-            pos = axs[d].get_position()
-            cax = fig.add_axes([pos.x0, 0.12, pos.x1 - pos.x0, 0.05])
-            lax = fig.add_axes([pos.x0, 0.07, pos.x1 - pos.x0, 0.07])
+            cax = axs[len(subfigure_data)]
+            lax = axs[len(subfigure_data) + 1]
             lax.axis("off")
             cbar = plt.colorbar(pcm, cax=cax, orientation="horizontal")
             cbar.set_label("information content [bit]")
@@ -391,8 +399,8 @@ def plot_bitinformation(bitinfo, cmap="turku", crop=None):
             label="false information",
             alpha=0.3,
         )
-        axs[d].fill_betweenx(
-            [-1, -1], [-1, -1], [-1, -1], color="w", label="unused bits"
+        l3 = axs[d].fill_betweenx(
+            [-1, -1], [-1, -1], [-1, -1], color="w", label="unused bits", edgecolor="k"
         )
 
         if n_sign > 0:
@@ -479,12 +487,11 @@ def plot_bitinformation(bitinfo, cmap="turku", crop=None):
                 bbox_to_anchor=(0.5, 0),
                 loc="center",
                 framealpha=0.6,
-                ncol=3,
-                handles=[l1, l2, l0[0]],
+                ncol=4,
+                handles=[l0[0], l1, l2, l3],
             )
         axs[d].set_xlim(0, bits_to_show)
 
-    plt.tight_layout()
     fig.show()
 
     return fig