Ebook: Matplotlib for Storytellers: Python Data Visualization

This book is written for frustrated and reluctant matplotlib users who care about crafting good data visuals. Matplotlib can be a blank canvas, offering more room for customization than you might find in Microsoft Excel, and offers the advantages of reproducibility and automation that come from working with Python. Still, becoming comfortable with matplotlib requires a lot of patience. I wrote this book to help make that easier and put some essentials in one place.

This book itself doesn't show you how to make particular chart types. The idea is you already have a bar chart, line plot, histogram, etc, but that it's ugly. The book helps you figure out how to beautify your charts and helps make those steps seem less mysterious.

Contents (not all included in current draft)

The Object-oriented Interface

Axes Appearance, Ticks, and Grids

Elements and Coordinate Systems

Text and Titles

Dates

Colors

Multiple Axes and Plots

Style and Configuration

Math Interlude

Math Interlude - Applications

Artist Objects

Artist Objects - Applications

Special Topics - Multi-dimensional Scaling

Special Topics - Intro Stats Graphs

Special Topics - Ternary Plots