diff --git a/pylace/lace/plot.py b/pylace/lace/plot.py
index b4cf5fd3..0bc431e8 100644
--- a/pylace/lace/plot.py
+++ b/pylace/lace/plot.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 """Plotting utilities."""
 
+from math import ceil
 from typing import Any, Dict, Optional, Union
 
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
@@ -292,8 +293,8 @@ def state(
     *,
     cmap: Optional[str] = None,
     missing_color=None,
-    cat_gap: int = 1,
-    view_gap: int = 1,
+    cat_gap: Union[float, int] = 0.1,
+    view_gap: Union[float, int] = 0.2,
     show_index: bool = True,
     show_columns: bool = True,
     min_height: int = 0,
@@ -320,10 +321,12 @@ def state(
     missing_color: optional, default: red
         The RGBA array representation ([float, float, float, float]) of the
         color to use to represent missing data
-    cat_gap: int, optional, default: 1
-        The vertical spacing (in cells) between categories
-    view_gap: int, optional, default: 1
-        The horizontal spacing (in cell) between views
+    cat_gap: int or float, default: 0.1
+        The vertical spacing (in cells if int or fraction of table height if
+        float) between categories
+    view_gap: int or float, default: 0.2
+        The horizontal spacing (in cells if int or fraction of table width if
+        float) between views
     show_index: bool, default: True
         If True (default), will show row names next to rows in each view
     show_columns: bool, default: True
@@ -349,17 +352,10 @@ def state(
     >>> engine = Animals()
     >>> fig = plt.figure(tight_layout=True, facecolor="#00000000")
     >>> ax = plt.gca()
-    >>> plot.state(
-    ...    engine,
-    ...    7,
-    ...    view_gap=13,
-    ...    cat_gap=3,
-    ...    ax=ax,
-    ... )
+    >>> plot.state(engine, 7, ax=ax)
     >>> _ = plt.axis("off")
     >>> plt.show()
 
-
     Render a satellites State, which has continuous, categorial and
     missing data
 
@@ -388,6 +384,17 @@ def state(
         cmap = "gray_r"
 
     n_rows, n_cols = engine.shape
+
+    if isinstance(cat_gap, float):
+        assert cat_gap >= 0.0
+        assert cat_gap <= 1.0
+        cat_gap = ceil(n_rows * cat_gap)
+
+    if isinstance(view_gap, float):
+        assert view_gap >= 0.0
+        assert view_gap <= 1.0
+        view_gap = ceil(n_cols * view_gap)
+
     col_asgn = engine.column_assignment(state_ix)
     row_asgns = engine.row_assignments(state_ix)
 
@@ -470,7 +477,7 @@ def state(
 
             ax.text(
                 col_start + view_counts[view_ix] / 2.0 - 0.5,
-                row_start + cat_counts[cat_ix] + cat_gap * 0.15,
+                row_start + cat_counts[cat_ix] + cat_gap * 0.25,
                 f"$C_{{{cat_ix}}}$",
                 ha="center",
                 va="center",