Open references/ only as needed; do not preload every file. Start from the table below, then follow links inside the document you opened (and into figure_* code via references/demos.md) instead of loading the full reference set up front.
When to load this skill
- Matplotlib figures for papers, slides, or reports that must match this repo’s publication look (fonts, palette, spines, legends, export).
- Requests involving grouped bars, trend lines, heatmaps, multi-panel grids, or PDF/SVG/high-DPI output in a scientific-figure context.
- References to figures4papers
figure_*projects or “same style as the repo figures.”
When not to load
- Plotly, Altair, Bokeh, or other interactive / web-first plotting.
- EDA-only plots where seaborn or pandas is enough until there is a publication target.
- Primary workflow is 3D, GIS, or non-matplotlib tooling.
- Illustrator / Figma–first layout or infographic (not matplotlib data plots).
Related files
| File | Open when |
|---|---|
| references/tutorials.md | End-to-end walkthroughs (bar, trends, heatmap) |
| references/api.md | Function signatures, PALETTE, validation rules |
| references/common-patterns.md | Layout patterns, legend panel, print-safe bars |
| references/design-theory.md | Typography, export policy, palette rationale |
| references/demos.md | Canonical figure_* demo links in figures4papers |