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paperplot

Publication-correct matplotlib figures, journal by journal.

Most matplotlib styling focuses on the look. paperplot does that too — but it also handles the parts that decide whether a journal accepts your figure:

  • sizes it to the journal's real column width (8.6 cm, 17.8 cm, …), not a generic default;
  • embeds fonts correctly (Type-42, no Type-3);
  • preflights it for the rules figures actually get rejected over — font type, line weight, lettering height, and grayscale legibility;
  • shows it on the page before you submit — preview_in_page() drops the figure into a true-to-scale mock journal page with real body text, so you see exactly how big it lands and whether the lettering holds up. A paperplot original — most styling packages stop at the figure. See the Gallery.

Ships Physical Review (APS) (incl. PRL/PRX/PRB), Nature, and IEEE, plus a presentation target for slides.

The two-call pattern

import numpy as np
import paperplot as pp

pp.use("aps")                          # or "nature" / "ieee" / "prl" / "talk"
fig, ax = pp.figure(width="single")    # 8.6 cm wide, golden ratio, styled
ax.plot(np.linspace(0, 10, 200), np.sin(np.linspace(0, 10, 200)))
ax.set_xlabel(r"delay $\tau$ (ns)")
pp.save(fig, "fig1.pdf")               # embeds fonts, runs preflight()

See the Gallery for what comes out, and the README for the full feature tour.

One figure, many panels

Real papers stack panels. A custom GridSpec gives two fit panels (a, b), each with a flush residual strip sharing its x-axis, plus a distribution (c) and a 2-D map (d) — one figure, four panel letters, all journal-styled. See the Composite layout in the gallery, or the code in the Showcase.

Composite multi-panel figure

See it on the page

The part most styling packages skip: preview_in_page() drops your figure into a true-to-scale mock journal page with real body text — so you see exactly how big it lands and whether the lettering holds up, before you submit.

  • Overlapping histograms — in page

    Histograms in page

  • Data + fit + band — in page

    Data + fit + band in page

  • APS single column — in page

    APS single in page

  • Double column, across the page

    Double column in page

More in the Gallery.

Just want the look?

pp.register_mplstyles() then plt.style.use("paperplot-aps") — no API to learn. You give up only what a style sheet can't do (true column sizing, font embedding, preflight); pp.figure()/pp.save() add those back.

FAQ

How does this relate to other matplotlib styling packages (e.g. SciencePlots)? They're great, and paperplot owes a lot to that lineage — if all you want is a nicer default look, any of them (or our drop-in style sheets) will serve you well, and our styles compose just like theirs. paperplot adds the publishing-specific layer on top: figures sized to each journal's true column width, fonts embedded as Type-42, and a preflight() linter for the rules journals reject figures over. Use whichever fits — they coexist happily.

Do I need LaTeX installed? No. The Computer Modern "LaTeX look" is the default via mathtext, with no LaTeX required. usetex=True is there if you want a real LaTeX engine.

Created and maintained by Zlatko Minev.