multi-colored text example

examples/text_labels_and_annotations/rainbow_text.py

@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""
+The example shows how to string together several text objects.
+
+HISTORY
+-------
+On the matplotlib-users list back in February 2012, Gökhan Sever asked the
+following question:
+
+    Is there a way in matplotlib to partially specify the color of a string?
+
+    Example:
+
+    plt.ylabel("Today is cloudy.")
+    How can I show "today" as red, "is" as green and "cloudy." as blue?
+
+    Thanks.
+
+Paul Ivanov responded with this answer:
+"""
+import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
+from matplotlib import transforms
+
+def rainbow_text(x, y, strings, colors, ax=None, **kw):
+    """
+    Take a list of ``strings`` and ``colors`` and place them next to each
+    other, with text strings[i] being shown in colors[i].
+
+    This example shows how to do both vertical and horizontal text, and will
+    pass all keyword arguments to plt.text, so you can set the font size,
+    family, etc.
+
+    The text will get added to the ``ax`` axes, if provided, otherwise the
+    currently active axes will be used.
+    """
+    if ax is None:
+        ax = plt.gca()
+    t = ax.transData
+    canvas = ax.figure.canvas
+
+    # horizontal version
+    for s,c in zip(strings, colors):
+        text = ax.text(x, y, " " + s + " ", color=c, transform=t, **kw)
+        text.draw(canvas.get_renderer())
+        ex = text.get_window_extent()
+        t = transforms.offset_copy(text._transform, x=ex.width, units='dots')
+
+    # vertical version
+    for s,c in zip(strings, colors):
+        text = ax.text(x, y, " " + s + " ", color=c, transform=t,
+                rotation=90, va='bottom', ha='center', **kw)
+        text.draw(canvas.get_renderer())
+        ex = text.get_window_extent()
+        t = transforms.offset_copy(text._transform, y=ex.height, units='dots')
+
+
+rainbow_text(0, 0, "all unicorns poop rainbows ! ! !".split(),
+        ['red', 'cyan', 'brown', 'green', 'blue', 'purple', 'black'],
+        size=18)
+
+plt.show()