What colors are available in matplotlib?

Matplotlib is an incredibly popular plotting library for Python, capable of producing attractive graphs and charts of almost any type imaginable. Naturally, one of the first things users look for when using the library is the ability to customize the colors used in their visualizations. Fortunately, Matplotlib provides plenty of options and flexibility when it comes to color selection.

At its most basic level, Matplotlib provides a number of predefined colors to use for graphics. These are defined in RGB format, with values ranging from 0-255 for each red/green/blue shade. A few common examples include "red" (255, 0, 0), "blue" (0, 0, 255), "green" (0, 255, 0), and "black" (0, 0, 0).

It is also possible to customize colors beyond these basic shades. Developers can choose to enter RGB values specifically or use another format such as hexadecimal numbers. Matplotlib also supports selection of colors by name (e.g., "red" or "blue") and allows users to enter tuples consisting of three floating-point numbers between 0 and 1 which represent normalized RGB values — this option often results in a more subtle color variation than entering exact RGB integers.

In addition to customizing shades from the ground up like this, Matplotlib provides some handy presets such as a list of named colors — including light blue ('snow4'), greenish blue ('springgreen'), magenta ('magenta'), violet ('violetred1') and more — as well as colormaps that allow users to specify animations or transitions between multiple colors along with gradient fills based on customizable limits set by the user. Development teams who require specific Pantone® brand colors can reference available hex codes created manually within their visualizations.

For developers familiar with Adobe Photoshop® or comparable image editing programs, there is also a convenient Color Wheel tool within Matplotlib that helps easily visualize various color values next to one another while attempting customization tasks like creating themes or design schemes according to existing criteria

See more about matplotlib colors