Embed matplotlib svg plots as regular image in jupyter notebooks (with "Save as..." and automatic resize)

sample_nb.py

# Jupyter Notebook content

import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

import util

t = np.arange(0.0, 2.0, 0.01)
s = 1 + np.sin(2 * np.pi * t)

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot(t, s)

ax.set(xlabel='time (s)', ylabel='voltage (mV)',
       title='About as simple as it gets, folks')
ax.grid()

util.plt_svg()

util.py

# Jupyter Notebook's SVG support inlines the SVG directly into the notebook website (without using <img>)
# and this prevents functionality like right-click "Save as ..." to save the image.
# It also causes the SVG to always show up in its full size, where non-SVG plots would be resized to fit
# and being enlarged with a double-click.

# The code below renders plots as SVG while keeping the functionality known from raster images.
# See sample_nb.py on how to use it.

import io
import base64

def plt_svg(fig=None):  
    from IPython.display import HTML
    if fig is None:
        fig = plt.gcf()
    f = io.BytesIO()
    fig.savefig(f, format='svg', bbox_inches='tight')
    plt.close(fig)
    svg = f.getvalue()
    svg_url = 'data:image/svg+xml;base64,' + base64.b64encode(svg).decode()
    display(HTML(f'<img src="{svg_url}"></img>'))