Font size guidelines in Matplotlib - Interactive Code Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to set the font size of the title to 16.

Matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.title('Sample Plot', fontsize=[1])
plt.show()

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A12

B16

C20

D10

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using a string instead of an integer for fontsize.

Forgetting to set fontsize parameter.

The fontsize parameter controls the size of the title text. Setting it to 16 makes the title clearly visible.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the code to set the font size of x-axis labels to 14.

Matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.xlabel('X Axis', fontsize=[1])
plt.show()

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A20

B18

C14

D10

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using fontsize too small to read.

Not passing fontsize parameter at all.

Setting fontsize=14 makes the x-axis label easy to read without being too large.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in the code to set the font size of y-axis tick labels to 12.

Matplotlib

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
ax = plt.gca()
plt.plot([1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6])
plt.setp(ax.get_yticklabels(), fontsize=[1])
plt.show()

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A12

B'12'

C14

D10

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Passing font size as a string instead of an integer.

Using plt.yticks(fontsize=12) instead of plt.setp for tick labels.

The fontsize parameter must be an integer, not a string. Passing 12 sets the tick label font size correctly.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to create a dictionary setting font sizes for title and labels.

Matplotlib

font_sizes = {'title': [1], 'label': [2]

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A18

B14

C12

D16

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using smaller font size for title than labels.

Using same font size for both title and labels.

Common font size guidelines use 16 for titles and 14 for labels to keep text balanced and readable.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to create a font size dictionary and apply it to a plot.

Matplotlib

font_sizes = {'title': [1], 'xlabel': [2], 'ylabel': [3]
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.title('My Plot', fontsize=font_sizes['title'])
plt.xlabel('X Axis', fontsize=font_sizes['xlabel'])
plt.ylabel('Y Axis', fontsize=font_sizes['ylabel'])
plt.show()

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

A18

B14

C12

D16

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using same font size for all labels.

Setting ylabel font size larger than title.

Using 16 for title, 14 for xlabel, and 12 for ylabel follows common font size guidelines for clear and balanced plots.

Practice

1. Why is it important to set font sizes in a matplotlib chart?

easy

A. To increase the chart size

B. To change the chart colors

C. To add more data points

D. To make the chart text clear and easy to read

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the role of font size in charts

   Font size controls how big or small the text appears on the chart, affecting readability.

2. Step 2: Connect font size to clarity

   Clear and readable text helps viewers understand the chart easily without straining their eyes.

3. Final Answer:

   To make the chart text clear and easy to read -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Font size improves readability = D [OK]

Hint: Font size controls text clarity on charts [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing font size with chart colors
• Thinking font size changes data points
• Assuming font size changes chart dimensions

2. Which of the following is the correct way to set the font size of the title in matplotlib?

easy

A. plt.title('My Chart', fontsize=14)

B. plt.title('My Chart', size=14px)

C. plt.title('My Chart', font=14)

D. plt.title('My Chart', font_size='large')

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall matplotlib title font size syntax

   The correct parameter to set font size is fontsize with an integer value.

2. Step 2: Check each option for correct syntax

   plt.title('My Chart', fontsize=14) uses fontsize=14, which is correct. Others use invalid parameters or units.

3. Final Answer:

   plt.title('My Chart', fontsize=14) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Use fontsize=number for title font size = C [OK]

Hint: Use fontsize=number to set font size in matplotlib [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using size=14px instead of fontsize=14
• Using font_size or font parameters incorrectly
• Adding units like 'px' which matplotlib does not accept

3. What will be the font size of the x-axis label in this code?

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.plot([1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6])
plt.xlabel('X Axis', fontsize=16)
plt.show()

medium

A. 16 points

B. Default font size (usually 10)

C. 12 points

D. No label will appear

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the font size parameter in xlabel

   The code uses fontsize=16 in plt.xlabel, which sets the label font size to 16 points.

2. Step 2: Understand matplotlib default behavior

   Since fontsize is explicitly set, it overrides the default size (usually 10).

3. Final Answer:

   16 points -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Explicit fontsize=16 sets label size = A [OK]

Hint: Check fontsize parameter value to find label size [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming default size when fontsize is set
• Confusing label font size with tick font size
• Thinking label won't show without extra commands

4. Identify the error in this code that tries to set font sizes for ticks:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.plot([1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6])
plt.tick_params(axis='x', labelsize=14)
plt.yticks(fontsize='large')
plt.show()

medium

A. plt.tick_params syntax is wrong

B. fontsize='large' is invalid for plt.yticks

C. plt.plot syntax is wrong

D. plt.show() is missing

Solution

1. Step 1: Check syntax for tick font sizes

   Matplotlib expects labelsize=int in tick_params, not fontsize='large' in plt.yticks.

2. Step 2: Identify which line has the error

   plt.yticks(fontsize='large') is invalid and will cause an error.

3. Final Answer:

   fontsize='large' is invalid for plt.yticks -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Use tick_params(labelsize=int) for ticks [OK]

Hint: Use plt.tick_params(labelsize=number) for tick font sizes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using string values like 'large' for tick fontsize
• Thinking plt.tick_params syntax is wrong
• Ignoring error messages about parameter types

5. You want to create a plot with a large title, medium axis labels, and small tick labels for clarity. Which font size settings follow good font size guidelines?

hard

A. Title fontsize=14, labels fontsize=14, ticks fontsize=14

B. Title fontsize=8, labels fontsize=20, ticks fontsize=14

C. Title fontsize=20, labels fontsize=14, ticks fontsize=8

D. Title fontsize=8, labels fontsize=8, ticks fontsize=8

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand font size roles for clarity

   Title should be largest to stand out, axis labels medium for readability, ticks smallest to avoid clutter.

2. Step 2: Match options to guideline

   Title fontsize=20, labels fontsize=14, ticks fontsize=8 matches this pattern: 20 (large), 14 (medium), 8 (small). Others do not follow this order.

3. Final Answer:

   Title fontsize=20, labels fontsize=14, ticks fontsize=8 -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Large title, medium labels, small ticks = A [OK]

Hint: Title > labels > ticks in font size for clarity [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Making tick labels larger than title
• Using same font size for all text elements
• Choosing too small font sizes causing unreadable text