Publication figures#

gsplot’s paper defaults are a strong starting point for scientific figures; they are not certification for a particular journal. Always check the current instructions for the journal and article type before submission.

Concise recipe#

import gsplot as gs

fig, ax = gs.subplots("AB")
gs.line(ax["A"], x, signal, series=0, label="signal")
gs.scatter(ax["B"], x, residual, series=1, label="residual", s=8)
gs.label(ax, (("time (s)", "signal"), ("time (s)", "residual")), index="in")
gs.legend(ax)
gs.save(fig, "figure", show=False)

subplots("AB") returns native Matplotlib objects and selects a 170 mm wide design canvas, constrained layout, and target-local paper style. A one-column layout uses 85 mm. line, scatter, label, and legend validate complete multi-Axes plans before mutating the first target.

For a complete data-backed recipe, see the publication example.

Defaults owned by gsplot#

Area

Paper baseline

Canvas

85 mm for one column; 170 mm for two or more columns

Layout

constrained for a new Figure

Typography

10 pt DejaVu Sans; 6 pt axis-label padding

Axes

white face, zero margins, visible 0.8 pt black spines, no grid

Ticks

inward on all four sides; major 3.5×0.8 pt; minor 2×0.6 pt

Legend

best placement, frameless, non-fancy, 0.3 label spacing

Raster output

PNG at 600 DPI

Vector output

PDF with Type 42 fonts

Crop

tight bounding box with 0.1-inch padding

These values affect only explicit Figures, Axes, or output operations. gsplot does not change global rcParams during import.

Design canvas and tight crop#

The Figure size is the design canvas. The default tight crop removes unused outer space when writing each file, so the exported media box may be smaller than 85 or 170 mm. Use crop=False when the submission system requires exact canvas dimensions:

gs.save(fig, "figure", crop=False, show=False)

For a different target width, set the Figure size explicitly and keep the unit beside the values:

fig, ax = gs.subplots(size=(90, 60), unit="mm")

Submission checklist#

  • Design and inspect the figure at its final physical size.

  • Confirm the journal’s permitted file formats, dimensions, and raster resolution; these rules differ by publisher and article type.

  • Check that labels remain readable and lines and markers remain distinct after scaling.

  • Prefer vector output for charts when accepted, and verify embedded fonts.

  • Inspect color, grayscale, and a color-vision-deficiency simulation. Do not encode meaning by color alone; combine color with line style, marker, or direct labels.

  • Crop accidental white space, but retain required margins and prevent labels from being clipped.

  • Provide captions and alt text according to the target journal’s current accessibility policy.

Current official references include the APS figure guidance, AIP author instructions, PLOS ONE figure requirements, and Elsevier artwork guidance. These external requirements can change; the links, not this page, are the authority for a submission.