[matplotlib styling] Set style to have beautiful plots with matplotlib. #matplotlib #python

matplotlib_styling.py

from matplotlib import pyplot as plt

"""If used in Jupyter notebook, this can be embedded by adding cell:

%%bash
if [ ! -e matplotlib_styling.py ]; then
    wget https://gist.githubusercontent.com/izikeros/457a99d950310da8166050a13f4043cb/raw/4334d77bdaad867003926e7cf87ffbec7131528d/matplotlib_styling.py
fi
"""


def set_styling(style="fivethirtyeight"):
    """Set styling details for matplotlib.

    References:
        http://www.futurile.net/2016/02/27/matplotlib-beautiful-plots-with-style/
        https://seaborn.pydata.org/tutorial/aesthetics.html

    """
    # Set the style globally
    # Alternatives include bmh, fivethirtyeight, ggplot,
    # dark_background, seaborn-deep, seaborn-pastel, seaborn-white, xkcd etc
    #
    # Big list of styles:
    #   plt.style.available
    plt.style.use(style) # Alternatives include bmh, fivethirtyeight, ggplot,

    fs_small = 14  # 8
    fs_medium = 16  # 10
    fs_big = 18  # 12
    plt.rcParams["font.family"] = "sans-serif"  # 'serif'
    plt.rcParams["font.serif"] = "Ubuntu"
    plt.rcParams["font.monospace"] = "Ubuntu Mono"
    plt.rcParams["font.size"] = fs_medium
    plt.rcParams["axes.labelsize"] = fs_medium
    plt.rcParams["axes.labelweight"] = "bold"
    plt.rcParams["axes.titlesize"] = fs_medium
    plt.rcParams["xtick.labelsize"] = fs_small
    plt.rcParams["ytick.labelsize"] = fs_small
    plt.rcParams["legend.fontsize"] = fs_medium
    plt.rcParams["figure.titlesize"] = fs_big