figquilt 0.1.4

figquilt is a small, language-agnostic CLI tool that composes multiple figures (PDF/SVG/PNG) into a single publication-ready figure, based on a simple layout file (YAML/JSON). The key function is creating a PDF by composing multiple PDFs and adding subfigure labels and minimal annotations.

figquilt

Figure quilter: A declarative CLI tool for compositing multiple figures (PDF, SVG, PNG) into publication-ready layouts.

figquilt takes a simple layout file (YAML) describing panels and their structure, composed of various inputs (plots from R/Python, diagrams, photos), and stitches them into a single output file (PDF, SVG) with automatic labeling and precise dimension control.

Philosophy

• Declarative over imperative: Describe what your figure should look like, not how to construct it. Layouts are data, not scripts.
• Structural composition first: Prefer high-level layout (rows, columns, ratios) over manual coordinate placement. Let the tool handle positioning.
• Fine control when needed: Override with explicit coordinates and dimensions when precision matters.
• Automation-friendly: Designed to fit into reproducible workflows (Snakemake, Make, CI pipelines). No GUI, no manual steps.

Features

• Precise Layout: Define exact physical dimensions (mm) for the page and panels.
• Mixed Media: Combine PDF, SVG, and PNG inputs in one figure.
• Automated Labeling: Automatically add subfigure labels (A, B, C...) with consistent styling.
• Reproducible: Layouts are defined in version-controllable text files (YAML).
• Language Agnostic: It is a CLI tool, so it works with outputs from any tool (R, Python, Julia, Inkscape, etc.).

Installation

uv tool install figquilt

Or add it as a project dependency:

uv add figquilt

Development Installation

git clone https://github.com/yy/figquilt.git
cd figquilt
uv sync

Usage

Define a layout in a YAML file (e.g., figure1.yaml):

page:
  width: 180  # mm
  height: 120 # mm
  
panels:
  - id: A
    file: "plots/scatter.pdf"
    width: 80
    x: 0
    y: 0
  - id: B
    file: "diagrams/schematic.svg"
    width: 80
    x: 90
    y: 0

Run figquilt to generate the figure:

figquilt figure1.yaml figure1.pdf

Watch Mode

Use --watch to automatically rebuild when the layout file or any panel source files change:

figquilt --watch figure1.yaml figure1.pdf

This is useful during layout iteration - edit your YAML or regenerate a panel, and the output updates automatically.