Matplotlib

Data Visualization Using 2D and 3D Plots

Comprehensive Guide to Data Visualization in Python Versatile

2D & 3D Plots bar_chart

Static Plots Interactive Animated

High Quality

code Mr. Tapan Kumar Dey verified

 What is Matplotlib?

Key Features

info Python Data Visualization Library

Versatile
Python's most popular plotting library for widgets
Supports 2D and 3D plots including line, bar,
creating static, animated, and interactive scatter, histogram, pie charts and more

visualizations

Highly Customizable
tune
Created By Control every aspect of your plots - colors, fonts,

person John D. Hunter styles, and layout

in 2003

Publication Quality
verified
ad Generate high-resolution, professional-grade
visualizations for research and presentations
 Installation and Setup
Basic Import & Setup

Installation Methods

code Standard Import

terminal pip install matplotlib import [Link] as plt

Using Python package installer
# Check version
print(plt.__version__)

science conda install matplotlib

Using Anaconda package manager
notebook Jupyter Notebook Setup

check_circle Verify Installation %matplotlib inline

import matplotlib # Display plots inline

print(matplotlib.__version__) [Link]()

lightbulb Restart Python environment after installation if needed

 Basic Plotting Concepts
Basic Plotting Workflow

1 Import pyplot
2 Create figure
Matplotlib Architecture
3 Create axes

Figure
4 Plot data
crop_square
The overall canvas container for all plots 5 Display plot

Axes code Code Example

grid_on
Individual plot area with x/y axes
import [Link] as plt

# Create figure and axes

Three-Layer Architecture
fig, ax = [Link]()
Backend arrow_forward Artist arrow_forward Pyplot
# Plot data
[Link]([1, 2, 3, 4], [1, 4, 2, 3])

# Display
[Link]()
 Line Plots
Creating Line Plots
Line Plot Visualization

code Basic Line Plot

import [Link] as plt

x = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
y = [2, 4, 6, 8, 10]

[Link](x, y)
[Link]('X Axis')
[Link]('Y Axis')
[Link]('Line Plot Example')
[Link]()

show_chart Multiple Lines

[Link](x, y, color='red') linewidth=2.5
Line Color Line Width [Link](x, y1, 'r--', label='Line 1')
[Link](x, y2, 'b-', label='Line 2')
linestyle='--' marker='o' [Link]()
Line Style Data Points
 Bar Charts
Bar Chart Visualization

Creating Bar Charts

code Basic Bar Chart

import [Link] as plt

categories = ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D']

values = [23, 45, 56, 78]

[Link](categories, values)
[Link]('Categories')
[Link]('Values')
[Link]('Bar Chart Example')
[Link]()
bar_chart Grouped & Stacked Bars

# Grouped bars
[Link]() [Link]() [Link](x1, y1, width=0.4, label='Group 1')
Vertical Bars Horizontal Bars [Link](x2, y2, width=0.4, label='Group 2')

width=0.8 color='blue' # Stacked bars

Bar Width Bar Color [Link](x, y1, label='Layer 1')
[Link](x, y2, bottom=y1, label='Layer 2')
 Scatter Plots
Creating Scatter Plots Scatter Plot Visualization

code Basic Scatter Plot

import [Link] as plt

x = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
y = [2, 4, 6, 8, 10]

[Link](x, y)
[Link]('X Axis')
[Link]('Y Axis')
[Link]('Scatter Plot Example')
[Link]()

scatter_plot Customized Scatter Plot

s=100 c='red'
[Link](x, y, s=200, c='purple',
Marker Size Marker Color
marker='s', alpha=0.7,
label='Data Points')
marker='o' alpha=0.6 [Link]()
Marker Shape Transparency
 Histograms
Creating Histograms

bar_chart Understanding Bins

code Basic Histogram

Bins divide the range of values into intervals. Each

import [Link] as plt bin counts how many data points fall within that
import numpy as np
range.
data = [Link](1000)

[Link](data, bins=30) analytics Customized Histogram

[Link]('Value')
[Link]('Frequency') [Link](data, bins=20,
[Link]('Histogram Example') color='steelblue',
[Link]() edgecolor='black',
alpha=0.7,
density=True)
bins=30 density=True
Number of Bins Normalize

Distribution Analysis Frequency Counting

color='blue' edgecolor='black' Understand data spread Count occurrences
Bar Color Bin Edges
 Pie Charts
Advanced Features
Creating Pie Charts

pie_chart Exploded Pie Chart

code Basic Pie Chart

explode = (0.1, 0, 0, 0, 0)
import [Link] as plt colors = ['#ff9999', '#66b3ff',
'#99ff99', '#ffcc99', '#c2c2f0']
sizes = [30, 20, 25, 15, 10]
labels = ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E']
[Link](sizes, explode=explode,
labels=labels, colors=colors,
[Link](sizes, labels=labels)
autopct='%1.1f%%',
[Link]('Pie Chart Example') shadow=True, startangle=90)
[Link]()

explode=(0.1, 0, 0, 0, 0) autopct='%1.1f%%' legend_toggle Adding Legend

Explode Effect Percentages

[Link](sizes, labels=labels,
autopct='%1.1f%%')
shadow=True colors=['red', 'blue',
'green']
[Link](title='Categories',
Add Shadow
Custom Colors
loc='upper right')
 Subplots and Figure Management
grid_on 2x2 Grid Layout

Creating Multiple Plots

code
1 2
2x2 Subplots

fig, axes = [Link](2, 2,

figsize=(12, 8))

axes[0, 0].plot(x1, y1)

axes[0, 1].bar(x2, y2)
axes[1, 0].scatter(x3, y3)
axes[1, 1].hist(data)

plt.tight_layout() 3 4
figsize=(12, 8) sharex=True
Figure Size Share X Axis

sharey=True tight_layout()
dashboard Common Grid Arrangements
Share Y Axis Adjust Spacing
subplots(1, 2) subplots(2, 1) subplots(2, 2)
1×2 Grid 2×1 Grid 2×2 Grid
 Customizing Plots
Customization Elements

Complete Customization Example

label [Link]() label [Link]()
X-axis Label Y-axis Label
code Fully Customized Plot

[Link](figsize=(10, 6)) title [Link]() legend_toggle [Link]()

[Link](x, y1, 'b-', label='Line 1', Plot Title Legend

linewidth=2)
[Link](x, y2, 'r--', label='Line 2')
grid_on [Link]() crop_landscape [Link]()
Grid Lines X-axis Limits
[Link]('Time (seconds)',
fontsize=12)
[Link]('Value', fontsize=12)
crop_portrait [Link]() text_fields [Link]()
[Link]('Customized Plot',
Y-axis Limits Tick Labels
fontsize=16, fontweight='bold')
[Link](fontsize=10,
loc='upper right') add_comment Annotations
[Link](True, alpha=0.3)
[Link](0, 100) [Link]('Peak', xy=(50, 40),
[Link](0, 50) xytext=(60, 45),
arrowprops=dict(
facecolor='red'))
 Styling and Themes
Applying Styles

palette Using Style Sheets

Built-in Themes

import [Link] as plt

auto_awesome seaborn assessment ggplot
# Apply a style Modern & Clean R-like Style

[Link]('seaborn')
trending_up fivethirtyeight grid_on dark_background
# Create plot with style
Data Journalism Dark Theme
[Link](x, y)
[Link]('Styled Plot')
[Link]()
more_horiz More Available Styles

bmh classic fast

settings Custom rcParams
grayscale Solarize_Light2 tableau-colorblind10
from matplotlib import rcParams

rcParams['[Link]'] = (12, 6) Tip: Use [Link] to list all available styles

tips_and_updates
rcParams['[Link]'] = 14
rcParams['[Link]'] = 12
rcParams['[Link]'] = 0.3
 Working with Dates and Time Series
Time Series Plotting

Time Series Components

calendar_today Creating Time Series Plot

access_time [Link]() schedule [Link]()

import [Link] as plt
Date Objects DateTime Objects
import datetime

dates = [[Link](2024, 1, i)
text_fields DateFormatter view_week DateLocator
for i in range(1, 8)]
Format Dates Locate Dates
values = [10, 15, 12, 18, 14, 20, 16]

[Link](dates, values)
[Link]('Weekly Data') auto_awesome Date Format Codes
[Link]()
%Y %m
Year (2024) Month (01-12)

%d %H:%M:%S
date_range Date Formatting Day (01-31) Time

from [Link] import DateFormatter

tips_and_updates Tip: Use pd.to_datetime() for Pandas dataframes
formatter = DateFormatter('%Y-%m-%d')
[Link].set_major_formatter(formatter)
 3D Plotting
Creating 3D Plots

view_in_ar 3D Scatter Plot 3D Plot Components

from mpl_toolkits.mplot3d import Axes3D

widgets Axes3D bubble_chart scatter()
import [Link] as plt
3D Axes Object 3D Scatter Points

fig = [Link]()
ax = fig.add_subplot(111, projection='3d')
landscape plot_surface() waves plot_wireframe()
Surface Plots Wireframe Plots
[Link](x, y, z, c='blue',
marker='o', s=100)
ax.set_xlabel('X')
ax.set_ylabel('Y') 3d_rotation View Control
ax.set_zlabel('Z')
[Link]() view_init(elev=30, azim=45) set_xlim3d()
Set View Angle X Axis Limits

set_ylim3d() set_zlim3d()
Y Axis Limits Z Axis Limits
terrain 3D Surface Plot

X, Y = [Link](x, y)
tips_and_updates Tip: Use projection='3d' to enable 3D plotting
Z = [Link]([Link](X**2 + Y**2))

ax.plot_surface(X, Y, Z, cmap='viridis')
 Saving and Exporting / Best Practices
Saving Plots

Best Practices
save Using savefig()
Keep It Simple
check_circle
import [Link] as plt Avoid clutter, focus on key insights

# Basic save
Choose Appropriate Chart Types
[Link]('[Link]') check_circle
Match visualization to data type

# With DPI and format

[Link]('high_quality.png', check_circle Label Clearly
dpi=300, Add titles, axis labels, and legends

format='png',
bbox_inches='tight')
Use Consistent Colors
check_circle
Maintain visual consistency across plots

image Supported Formats

check_circle High Resolution for Publication
Use DPI 300+ for print quality
.png .pdf .svg
Raster Vector Vector

tips_and_updates Tip: Use bbox_inches='tight' to prevent cropping

.jpg .eps .tiff
Raster Vector Lossless
Matplotlib Visualization
Examples
Code Examples & Plot Results

Line Plot Pie Chart Histogram Scatter Plot Box Plot

show_chart Line Plot - Code Example

import [Link] as plt

import numpy as np

# Generate data
x = [Link](0, 10, 100)
y = [Link](x)

# Create figure and plot

[Link](figsize=(8, 4))
[Link](x, y, 'b-', linewidth=2)

# Add labels and title

[Link]('Line Plot Example')
[Link]('X Axis')
[Link]('Y Axis')
[Link](True, alpha=0.3)

# Display the plot

[Link]()
show_chart Line Plot - Result
pie_chart Pie Chart - Code Example

import [Link] as plt

# Define data
labels = ['Apple', 'Banana', 'Orange', 'Mango']
sizes = [30, 25, 25, 20]
colors = ['#ff9999', '#66b3ff', '#99ff99', '#ffcc99']
explode = (0.1, 0, 0, 0)

# Create figure and plot

[Link](figsize=(8, 6))
[Link](sizes, explode=explode, labels=labels, colors=colors,
autopct='%1.1f%%', shadow=True, startangle=90)

# Add title and show

[Link]('Fruit Distribution')
[Link]('equal')
[Link]()
pie_chart Pie Chart - Result
bar_chart Histogram - Code Example

import [Link] as plt

import numpy as np

# Generate random data

data = [Link](1000)

# Create figure and plot

[Link](figsize=(8, 5))
[Link](data, bins=30, color='skyblue', edgecolor='black')

# Add labels and title

[Link]('Distribution of Data')
[Link]('Value')
[Link]('Frequency')
[Link](True, alpha=0.3)

# Display the plot

[Link]()
bar_chart Histogram - Result
scatter_plot Scatter Plot - Code Example

import [Link] as plt

import numpy as np

# Generate random data

x = [Link](100)
y = x + [Link](100) * 0.5

# Create figure and plot

[Link](figsize=(8, 6))
[Link](x, y, alpha=0.6, c='blue',
edgecolors='w', s=80)

# Add labels and title

[Link]('Scatter Plot Example')
[Link]('X Values')
[Link]('Y Values')
[Link](True, alpha=0.3)

# Display the plot

[Link]()
scatter_plot Scatter Plot - Result
view_week Box Plot - Code and Result

import [Link] as plt

import numpy as np

# Generate data for 3 groups

data = [[Link](0, std, 100)
for std in range(1, 4)]

# Create figure and plot

[Link](figsize=(8, 6))
[Link](data, patch_artist=True)

# Add labels and title

[Link]('Box Plot Example')
[Link]('Groups')
[Link]('Values')
[Link]([1, 2, 3],
['Group 1', 'Group 2', 'Group 3'])
[Link](True, alpha=0.3)

# Display the plot

[Link]()
show_chart Line Plot - When to Use

schedule Time Series Data compare_arrows Compare Multiple Series

Track changes over chronological time periods Overlay several data series on same axes

trending_up Trend Analysis hub Relationship Detection

Identify upward, downward or cyclical patterns Discover correlations between variables

timeline Continuous Data analytics Prediction Modeling

Visualize smooth, uninterrupted data streams Support forecasting and trend projections
show_chart Line Plot - Case Study

assessment Stock Price Tracking

Monitoring technology company stock performance over 6-month period insights
to guide investment decisions.
Key Insights
• 15% growth in Q1-Q2 period
trending_up Trend Identification pattern Pattern Recognition
Spot upward/downward movements Detect cyclical behavior • Peak at $175 in May

• Stabilized around $160-165

compare_arrows Benchmarking analytics Risk Assessment
• Moderate volatility
Compare with market indices Evaluate volatility levels
bar_chart Bar Plot - When to Use

category Categorical Data leaderboard Ranking Items

Compare distinct groups or categories Display ordered data by performance

grid_on Discrete Values analytics Group Analysis

Represent non-continuous data points Compare multiple groups side by side

compare Value Comparison track_changes Magnitude Differences

Show magnitude differences clearly Visualize gaps between values
bar_chart Bar Plot - Case Study

assessment Sales Performance Analysis

Comparing quarterly revenue across 5 product categories to identify top
insights
performers and optimize inventory allocation. Key Findings
• Electronics: $850K (35%)
emoji_events Identify Leaders trending_down Detect Underperformers
• Apparel: $650K (27%)
Spot top-performing products Find categories needing attention
• Home & Garden: $480K (20%)

• Sports: $280K (12%)

inventory Inventory Planning analytics Performance Gaps
Optimize stock levels Measure category differences • Books: $160K (6%)
pie_chart Pie Chart - When to Use

percent Proportions & Percentages layers Simple Composition

Show relative sizes as percentages Straightforward data breakdowns

donut_large Part-to-Whole Relationships circle 100% Total

Display how parts make up a whole When values sum to complete whole

filter_7 Limited Categories visibility Quick Overview

Best for 3-7 categories maximum Instant visual of dominant segments
pie_chart Pie Chart - Case Study

assessment Market Share Analysis

Visualizing smartphone market distribution across 5 major competitors to
insights
identify market leaders and assess competitive positioning. Market Distribution
• Brand A: 35% (Leader)
military_tech Market Leaders compare_arrows Competitive Gap
• Brand B: 25% (Challenger)
Identify dominant players Measure market differences
• Brand C: 20% (Established)

• Brand D: 12% (Emerging)

account_balance Market Composition lightbulb Strategic Insights
Understand total structure Guide business decisions • Brand E: 8% (Niche)
bar_chart Histogram - When to Use

show_chart Distribution Analysis warning Identify Outliers

Visualize continuous data spread Spot extreme values easily

analytics Frequency Distribution waves Pattern Recognition

Count occurrences in intervals Detect bell curves & patterns

open_in_full Data Spread & Range query_stats Statistical Insights

Understand data variability Assess normality & skewness
bar_chart Histogram - Case Study

assessment Customer Age Analysis

Analyzing age distribution of 10,000 e-commerce customers to understand insights
demographics, identify target segments, and optimize marketing
Key Findings
strategies.
• Peak: 25-34 age group (32%)

groups Target Identification campaign Marketing Focus • Secondary: 35-44 group (28%)
Pinpoint key age groups Tailor campaigns effectively
• Growing: 18-24 segment (18%)

• Stable: 45-54 demographic (14%)

trending_up Peak Detection report_problem Anomaly Spotting
• Minor: 55+ population (8%)
Find highest concentration Detect unusual patterns
view_week Box Plot - When to Use

compare Compare Distributions balance Detect Skewness

Side-by-side group comparison Visualize data asymmetry

report Identify Outliers dashboard Multiple Groups

Spot extreme data points easily Compare several distributions

format_list_numbered Five-Number Summary insights Statistical Summary

Min, Q1, Median, Q3, Max Comprehensive data overview
view_week Box Plot - Case Study

assessment Exam Performance Analysis

Comparing test scores across 3 different class sections to identify
insights
performance disparities, outliers, and grade distribution patterns. Key Findings
• Class A: 68-92 (Median 80)
school Performance Comparison star Exception Detection
• Class B: 55-85 (Median 72)
Compare class averages Spot top performers
• Class C: 72-95 (Median 84)

• Outliers: Classes B & C

warning Identify Struggles balance Grade Distribution
Find at-risk students Analyze spread patterns • Best consistency: Class A