PicTex

2.3.0 verified Sat May 09 auth: no python

PicTex is a Python library for generating images via CSS Flexbox layout. It uses a declarative API to compose elements, supports text shaping via HarfBuzz, Unicode bidirectional text, gradients, and inline spans. Current version 2.3.0 requires Python >=3.9. Releases occur irregularly, with breaking changes in v2.0.0 that renamed many methods.

pip install pictex

Common errors

error ImportError: cannot import name 'Canvas' from 'pictex' ↓

cause Installed version is too old (<2.0.0) or PicTex not installed correctly.

fix

Upgrade to latest: pip install --upgrade pictex

error ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pictex' ↓

cause PicTex is not installed.

fix

Install: pip install pictex

error AttributeError: 'Canvas' object has no attribute 'add_static' ↓

cause Method renamed in v2.0.0 breakage.

fix

Use canvas.add() or the new positioning methods. See migration guide.

Warnings

breaking v2.0.0 introduced breaking changes: many methods were renamed to match CSS terminology (e.g., add_static was removed, layout changed). Existing code from v1.x will not work without migration. ↓

fix Follow the migration guide at https://github.com/francozanardi/pictex/blob/main/docs/MIGRATION.md

deprecated The v2.0.0 release replaced Skia with HarfBuzz for text shaping. If you were using skia-specific features or relying on Skia fonts, you may need to adjust. ↓

fix Use standard font paths; HarfBuzz handles shaping automatically.

gotcha Text wrapping can behave unexpectedly when no width constraint is set. Floating-point precision may cause false word-wrapping. In v2.1.1 this was fixed, but it's still a good practice to set a width for text elements. ↓

fix Always specify a width on text-containing elements, e.g., Text("...", width=200).

gotcha Inline spans (Span) are new in v2.3.0. They are deeply nestable but properties cascade; forgetting to override a property may lead to unintended inheritance. The note says 'properties cascade down and inherit naturally unless explicitly overridden'. ↓

fix Explicitly set properties on each Span to avoid inheritance surprises.

Imports

Canvas
wrong
```
from pictex.canvas import Canvas
```
correct
```
from pictex import Canvas
```
Canvas is a top-level export; no submodule needed.

Span

wrong

from pictex.text import Span

correct

from pictex import Span

Span is exported from the main package.

RadialGradient

wrong

from pictex.gradients import RadialGradient

correct

from pictex import RadialGradient

Gradient classes are top-level exports.

Quickstart

Creates a 200x100 canvas with a blue rectangle and text, renders to PNG.

from pictex import Canvas, Text, Rect

canvas = Canvas(200, 100, background_color="white")
canvas.add(Rect(width=50, height=50, background_color="blue"))
canvas.add(Text("Hello, PicTex!"))
image = canvas.render()
image.save("output.png")