Figure size for publication in Matplotlib - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Figure size for publication

Start

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Set figure size with plt.figure(figsize=(w,h))

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Create plot elements (lines, labels)

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Adjust layout if needed

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Save figure with plt.savefig('file.png')

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End

This flow shows how to set the figure size for a plot, create the plot, and save it for publication.

Execution Sample

Matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.figure(figsize=(6,4))
plt.plot([1,2,3],[4,5,6])
plt.title('Sample Plot')
plt.savefig('plot.png')
plt.show()

This code sets a 6x4 inch figure, plots a line, adds a title, saves the figure, and shows it.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Parameter/Value	Effect/Result
1	Import matplotlib.pyplot	-	plt module ready
2	Create figure	figsize=(6,4)	Figure size set to 6 inches wide, 4 inches tall
3	Plot data	x=[1,2,3], y=[4,5,6]	Line plotted on figure
4	Add title	'Sample Plot'	Title added to figure
5	Save figure	'plot.png'	Figure saved as 'plot.png' with set size
6	Show figure	-	Figure displayed on screen
7	End	-	Plotting complete

💡 All steps completed, figure saved and displayed with correct size

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After plt.figure()	After plt.plot()	After plt.title()	After plt.savefig()	Final
figsize	None	(6,4)	(6,4)	(6,4)	(6,4)	(6,4)
plot data	None	None	Line with points (1,4),(2,5),(3,6)	Same	Same	Same
title	None	None	None	'Sample Plot'	'Sample Plot'	'Sample Plot'
file saved	False	False	False	False	True	True

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we use figsize=(6,4) in plt.figure()?

figsize sets the width and height in inches for the figure. This controls the size of the output image, important for publication quality. See execution_table step 2.

Does plt.savefig() save the figure with the size set by figsize?

Yes, plt.savefig() saves the figure exactly as sized by figsize. The saved image will have the dimensions in inches times the dpi. See execution_table step 5.

What happens if we don't call plt.figure(figsize=...) before plotting?

Matplotlib uses a default figure size (usually 6.4x4.8 inches). So the plot will be created but may not fit publication needs. See variable_tracker figsize start value.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the figure size set to at step 2?

A (8,6) inches

B (4,6) inches

C (6,4) inches

D (5,5) inches

💡 Hint

Check the 'Parameter/Value' column in execution_table row for step 2

At which step is the figure saved to a file?

A Step 5

B Step 3

C Step 6

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look for 'Save figure' action in execution_table

If we change figsize to (8,6), how does variable_tracker change after plt.figure()?

A figsize remains None

B figsize changes to (8,6) after plt.figure()

C figsize changes to (6,4)

D figsize becomes (4,8)

💡 Hint

See how figsize updates after plt.figure() in variable_tracker

Concept Snapshot

plt.figure(figsize=(width,height)) sets figure size in inches
Create plots after setting size for publication quality
Save figure with plt.savefig('filename') to keep size
Default size used if figsize not set
Adjust size to fit journal or presentation needs

Full Transcript

This visual execution trace shows how to set the figure size for a matplotlib plot for publication. First, we import matplotlib.pyplot as plt. Then we create a figure with plt.figure(figsize=(6,4)) which sets the figure size to 6 inches wide and 4 inches tall. Next, we plot data points with plt.plot. We add a title using plt.title. Then we save the figure to a file with plt.savefig('plot.png'), which saves the image with the set size. Finally, we display the figure with plt.show. The variable tracker shows how figsize and other variables change step by step. Key moments clarify why figsize matters and how saving preserves size. The quiz tests understanding of figure size setting and saving steps.