diff --git a/xbitinfo/graphics.py b/xbitinfo/graphics.py
index da89aacd..0a95e503 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))
+    fig_heights_incl_cax = fig_heights + [2 / (sum(fig_heights) + 1)]
+    grid = fig.add_gridspec(
+        len(subfigure_data) + 1, 1, height_ratios=fig_heights_incl_cax
+    )
+
+    axs = []
+    for i in range(len(subfigure_data) + 1):
+        ax = fig.add_subplot(grid[i, 0])
+        axs.append(ax)
 
     if isinstance(axs, plt.Axes):
         axs = [axs]
@@ -332,10 +341,7 @@ 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])
-            lax.axis("off")
+            cax = axs[len(subfigure_data)]
             cbar = plt.colorbar(pcm, cax=cax, orientation="horizontal")
             cbar.set_label("information content [bit]")
 
@@ -475,16 +481,14 @@ def plot_bitinformation(bitinfo, cmap="turku", crop=None):
             axs[d].text(i + 0.5, nvars + 0.5, m + 1, ha="center", fontsize=7)
 
         if d == len(subfigure_data) - 1:
-            lax.legend(
-                bbox_to_anchor=(0.5, 0),
-                loc="center",
+            fig.legend(
+                loc="lower center",
                 framealpha=0.6,
                 ncol=3,
                 handles=[l1, l2, l0[0]],
             )
         axs[d].set_xlim(0, bits_to_show)
 
-    plt.tight_layout()
     fig.show()
 
     return fig