Image extent and aspect ratio in Matplotlib - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Image extent and aspect ratio

📖 Scenario: You are working with images in data science and want to control how an image is displayed on a plot. Sometimes, you want to change the size and shape of the image on the plot by adjusting its extent and aspect ratio.

🎯 Goal: You will load a simple image as a 2D array, then plot it using matplotlib. You will set the image extent to control its position and size on the plot, and adjust the aspect ratio to control how the image scales.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create a 2D numpy array representing an image

Define an extent variable to control image boundaries on the plot

Use matplotlib's imshow with the extent and aspect parameters

Print or display the final plot showing the image with the specified extent and aspect ratio

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

In data science, controlling image extent and aspect ratio helps when visualizing images alongside other data or fitting images into specific plot areas.

💼 Career

Data scientists often need to customize image plots for reports, presentations, or dashboards to communicate insights clearly.

1

Create a 2D image array

Create a 2D numpy array called image with these exact values: [[1, 2], [3, 4]].

Matplotlib

# Create the 2D numpy array called image
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use np.array to create the 2D array with the exact values.

2

Define the image extent

Create a variable called extent and set it to the list [0, 4, 0, 2] to control the image boundaries on the plot.

Matplotlib

import numpy as np
image = np.array([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
# Define the extent list for the image
# Your code here

Need a hint?

The extent list has four numbers: left, right, bottom, top.

3

Plot the image with extent and aspect ratio

Use matplotlib.pyplot.imshow to plot the image with the extent variable and set aspect='auto'.

Matplotlib

import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
image = np.array([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
extent = [0, 4, 0, 2]
# Plot the image with extent and aspect='auto'
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use plt.imshow with the extent and aspect parameters.

4

Display the plot

Use plt.show() to display the image plot with the specified extent and aspect ratio.

Matplotlib

import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
image = np.array([[1, 2], [3, 4]])
extent = [0, 4, 0, 2]
plt.imshow(image, extent=extent, aspect='auto')
# Display the plot
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Call plt.show() to open the plot window.