Python saving multiple figures into one PDF file

Question

In python (for one figure created in a GUI) I was able to save the figure under .jpg and also .pdf by either using:

plt.savefig(filename1 +  '.pdf') 

or

plt.savefig(filename1 +  '.jpg') 

Using one file I would like to save multiple figures in either .pdf or .jpg (just like its done in math lab). Can anybody please help with this?

Answer 1

Use PdfPages to solve your problem. Pass your figure object to the savefig method.

For example, if you have a whole pile of figure objects open and you want to save them into a multi-page PDF, you might do:

import matplotlib.backends.backend_pdf pdf = matplotlib.backends.backend_pdf.PdfPages("output.pdf") for fig in xrange(1, figure().number): ## will open an empty extra figure :(     pdf.savefig( fig ) pdf.close() 

Answer 2

Do you mean save multiple figures into one file, or save multiple figures using one script?

Here's how you can save two different figures using one script.

>>> from matplotlib import pyplot as plt >>> fig1 = plt.figure() >>> plt.plot(range(10)) [<matplotlib.lines.Line2D object at 0x10261bd90>] >>> fig2 = plt.figure() >>> plt.plot(range(10,20)) [<matplotlib.lines.Line2D object at 0x10263b890>] >>> fig1.savefig('fig1.png') >>> fig2.savefig('fig2.png') 

...which produces these two plots into their own ".png" files:

To save them to the same file, use subplots:

>>> from matplotlib import pyplot as plt >>> fig = plt.figure() >>> axis1 = fig.add_subplot(211) >>> axis1.plot(range(10)) >>> axis2 = fig.add_subplot(212) >>> axis2.plot(range(10,20)) >>> fig.savefig('multipleplots.png') 

The above script produces this single ".png" file: