save a pandas.Series histogram plot to file
Question:
In ipython Notebook, first create a pandas Series object, then by calling the instance method .hist(), the browser displays the figure.
I am wondering how to save this figure to a file (I mean not by right click and save as, but the commands needed in the script).
Answers:
Use the Figure.savefig()
method, like so:
ax = s.hist() # s is an instance of Series
fig = ax.get_figure()
fig.savefig('/path/to/figure.pdf')
It doesn’t have to end in pdf
, there are many options. Check out the documentation.
Alternatively, you can use the pyplot
interface and just call the savefig
as a function to save the most recently created figure:
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
s.hist()
plt.savefig('path/to/figure.pdf') # saves the current figure
Plots from multiple columns
- Added from a comment toto_tico made on 2018-05-11
- If you are getting this error
AttributeError: 'numpy.ndarray' object has no attribute 'get_figure'
, then it is likely that you are plotting multiple columns.
- In this case,
ax
will be an array of all the axes.
ax = s.hist(columns=['colA', 'colB'])
# try one of the following
fig = ax[0].get_figure()
fig = ax[0][0].get_figure()
fig.savefig('figure.pdf')
You can use ax.figure.savefig()
:
import pandas as pd
s = pd.Series([0, 1])
ax = s.plot.hist()
ax.figure.savefig('demo-file.pdf')
This has no practical benefit over ax.get_figure().savefig()
as suggested in Philip Cloud’s answer, so you can pick the option you find the most aesthetically pleasing. In fact, get_figure()
simply returns self.figure
:
# Source from snippet linked above
def get_figure(self):
"""Return the `.Figure` instance the artist belongs to."""
return self.figure
Just wanted to add that the default resolution is 100dpi, which is fine for screen but won’t work if you want to enlarge or print it. You can pass a ‘dpi’ parameter to get a high-resolution file:
ax = s.hist() # s is an instance of Series
ax.figure.savefig('/path/to/figure.png', dpi=300)
You can simply save your (e.g. histogram) plot like this:
df.plot.hist().get_figure().savefig('name')
In ipython Notebook, first create a pandas Series object, then by calling the instance method .hist(), the browser displays the figure.
I am wondering how to save this figure to a file (I mean not by right click and save as, but the commands needed in the script).
Use the Figure.savefig()
method, like so:
ax = s.hist() # s is an instance of Series
fig = ax.get_figure()
fig.savefig('/path/to/figure.pdf')
It doesn’t have to end in pdf
, there are many options. Check out the documentation.
Alternatively, you can use the pyplot
interface and just call the savefig
as a function to save the most recently created figure:
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
s.hist()
plt.savefig('path/to/figure.pdf') # saves the current figure
Plots from multiple columns
- Added from a comment toto_tico made on 2018-05-11
- If you are getting this error
AttributeError: 'numpy.ndarray' object has no attribute 'get_figure'
, then it is likely that you are plotting multiple columns.- In this case,
ax
will be an array of all the axes.
- In this case,
ax = s.hist(columns=['colA', 'colB'])
# try one of the following
fig = ax[0].get_figure()
fig = ax[0][0].get_figure()
fig.savefig('figure.pdf')
You can use ax.figure.savefig()
:
import pandas as pd
s = pd.Series([0, 1])
ax = s.plot.hist()
ax.figure.savefig('demo-file.pdf')
This has no practical benefit over ax.get_figure().savefig()
as suggested in Philip Cloud’s answer, so you can pick the option you find the most aesthetically pleasing. In fact, get_figure()
simply returns self.figure
:
# Source from snippet linked above
def get_figure(self):
"""Return the `.Figure` instance the artist belongs to."""
return self.figure
Just wanted to add that the default resolution is 100dpi, which is fine for screen but won’t work if you want to enlarge or print it. You can pass a ‘dpi’ parameter to get a high-resolution file:
ax = s.hist() # s is an instance of Series
ax.figure.savefig('/path/to/figure.png', dpi=300)
You can simply save your (e.g. histogram) plot like this:
df.plot.hist().get_figure().savefig('name')