SciencePlots

2.2.1 verified Fri May 01 auth: no python

SciencePlots provides Matplotlib style sheets for scientific publications, offering preconfigured plots that match journal requirements (IEEE, Nature, etc.) and high-contrast color cycles. It requires an explicit `import scienceplots` statement (since v1.1.0). Current version is 2.2.1, with a relatively slow release cadence (every few months). Requires Python >=3.8.

pip install scienceplots

Common errors

error AttributeError: module 'matplotlib.style' has no attribute 'use' (if import missing) ↓

cause You forgot `import scienceplots` before using `plt.style.use('science')`.

fix

Add import scienceplots at the top of your script.

error FileNotFoundError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '.../styles/science.mplstyle' ↓

cause SciencePlots is not installed or styles not registered (often because `import scienceplots` is missing).

fix

Install scienceplots (pip install scienceplots) and import scienceplots in your script.

error RuntimeError: Failed to process string with tex because LaTeX is not installed or missing packages ↓

cause The 'science' style tries to use LaTeX but LaTeX is not installed.

fix

Use plt.style.use(['science', 'no-latex']) to disable LaTeX, or install a LaTeX distribution (e.g., TeX Live, MiKTeX).

error UserWarning: Style 'science' does not exist; falling back to default ↓

cause Typo in style name or styles not registered (missing import).

fix

Verify style name (e.g., 'science', 'ieee') and ensure import scienceplots is executed.

Warnings

deprecated Old usage without explicit `import scienceplots` no longer works since v1.1.0. ↓

fix Add `import scienceplots` at the top of your script.

gotcha The default 'science' style requires LaTeX. If LaTeX is not installed, you'll get errors about missing `*.sty` files. ↓

fix Use `plt.style.use(['science', 'no-latex'])` to avoid LaTeX dependency.

gotcha Styles are case-sensitive. Using `'SCIENCE'` or `'Science'` will fail silently (falls back to default). ↓

fix Use exact style names as documented: `'science'`, `'ieee'`, `'nature'`, etc.

gotcha Combining styles with conflicting settings (e.g., two styles setting 'figure.facecolor') results in last style winning; order matters. ↓

fix Put the most specific style last in the list: `plt.style.use(['science', 'ieee'])` — 'ieee' overrides 'science' on conflicts.

gotcha Fonts may not appear as expected if the required LaTeX packages (like 'amsmath', 'sfmath') are missing; styles load them automatically. ↓

fix Ensure your LaTeX distribution is complete, or use `'no-latex'` styles.

Install

conda install -c conda-forge scienceplots

Imports

scienceplots
wrong
```
No import or `from scienceplots import ...`
```
correct
```
import scienceplots
```
Since v1.1.0, you must run `import scienceplots` at the top of your script to register the styles. Previously styles were auto-loaded on pip install.

Quickstart

Import scienceplots to register styles, then use `plt.style.use(...)` like any Matplotlib style.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import scienceplots

# Apply 'science' style (uses LaTeX)
plt.style.use('science')

# Or without LaTeX:
# plt.style.use(['science', 'no-latex'])

fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot([1, 2, 3], [1, 4, 9])
ax.set_xlabel('x')
ax.set_ylabel('y')
fig.savefig('figure.pdf')