oxford-colors 1.1.0

Oxford University color palette for matplotlib

Oxford Colors

A Python library providing Oxford University's official color palette for matplotlib visualizations.

Installation

pip install oxford_colors

Quick Start

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from oxford_colors import oxford_style

# Use Oxford colors with the context manager
with oxford_style():
    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
    ax.plot([1, 2, 3], [1, 4, 9])
    ax.plot([1, 2, 3], [1, 2, 3])
    plt.show()

Features

• Official Oxford Colors: Complete palette including primary, secondary, neutral, and metallic colors
• Context Manager: Temporary color styling that automatically reverts
• Custom Color Selection: Choose specific colors from the palette
• Multiple Plot Types: Works with line plots, bar charts, scatter plots, histograms, and more
• Matplotlib Integration: Seamless integration with matplotlib's color cycle

Available Colors

Primary Colors

• oxford_blue - The signature Oxford blue (#002147)

Secondary Colors

A comprehensive palette including:

• oxford_mauve, oxford_peach, oxford_potters_pink
• oxford_dusk, oxford_lilac, oxford_sienna
• oxford_ccb_red, oxford_plum, oxford_coral
• oxford_lavender, oxford_orange, oxford_pink
• oxford_green, oxford_ocean_grey, oxford_yellow_ochre
• And many more...

Neutral Colors

• oxford_charcoal, oxford_ash_grey, oxford_umber
• oxford_stone_grey, oxford_shell_grey, oxford_off_white

Metallic Colors

• oxford_gold, oxford_silver

Usage Examples

Basic Line Plot

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from oxford_colors import oxford_style

with oxford_style():
    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
    ax.plot([1, 2, 3, 4], [1, 4, 2, 8], label='Series 1')
    ax.plot([1, 2, 3, 4], [2, 3, 4, 5], label='Series 2')
    ax.legend()
    plt.show()

Custom Color Selection

from oxford_colors import oxford_style

# Use specific Oxford colors
with oxford_style(colors=["oxford_blue", "oxford_pink", "oxford_green"]):
    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
    ax.plot([1, 2, 3], [1, 4, 9])
    ax.plot([1, 2, 3], [1, 2, 3])
    ax.plot([1, 2, 3], [4, 5, 6])
    plt.show()

Bar Chart

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from oxford_colors import oxford_style

with oxford_style():
    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
    categories = ['A', 'B', 'C', 'D']
    values = [23, 45, 56, 78]
    ax.bar(categories, values)
    plt.show()

Scatter Plot

import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from oxford_colors import oxford_style

with oxford_style():
    fig, ax = plt.subplots()
    x = np.random.randn(50)
    y = np.random.randn(50)
    ax.scatter(x, y, alpha=0.7)
    plt.show()

Multiple Subplots

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
from oxford_colors import oxford_style

with oxford_style():
    fig, ((ax1, ax2), (ax3, ax4)) = plt.subplots(2, 2, figsize=(10, 8))
    
    # Line plot
    x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
    ax1.plot(x, np.sin(x))
    ax1.set_title('Sine Wave')
    
    # Scatter plot
    ax2.scatter(np.random.randn(50), np.random.randn(50))
    ax2.set_title('Scatter Plot')
    
    # Bar chart
    ax3.bar(['A', 'B', 'C'], [10, 20, 15])
    ax3.set_title('Bar Chart')
    
    # Histogram
    ax4.hist(np.random.normal(0, 1, 1000), bins=30)
    ax4.set_title('Histogram')
    
    plt.tight_layout()
    plt.show()

Advanced Usage

Accessing Individual Colors

from oxford_colors import hex, rgb, OXFORD_COLORS

# Get hex color
blue_hex = hex("oxford_blue")  # '#002147'

# Get RGB tuple
blue_rgb = rgb("oxford_blue")  # (0, 33, 71)

# Access color object directly
blue_color = OXFORD_COLORS["oxford_blue"]
print(blue_color.name)  # "Oxford blue"
print(blue_color.pantone)  # "Pantone 282"

Creating Custom Palettes

from oxford_colors import mpl_palette

# Create a palette with specific colors
custom_palette = mpl_palette([
    "oxford_blue", 
    "oxford_pink", 
    "oxford_green",
    "oxford_orange"
])

# Use with matplotlib
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.rcParams['axes.prop_cycle'] = plt.cycler(color=custom_palette)

Development

Installation for Development

git clone https://github.com/HakamAtassi/oxford_colors.git
cd oxford_colors
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Running Tests

pytest

Building the Package

python -m build

Gallery

The examples/gallery.py script generates a comprehensive gallery of plots using Oxford colors:

python -m oxford_colors.examples.gallery

This will create multiple PNG files demonstrating:

• Line plots (with and without markers)
• Scatter plots (single and colored)
• Bar charts (vertical and horizontal)
• Histograms (single and multiple)
• Subplots
• Stacked bar charts
• Custom color selections

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

Color References

The colors in this library are based on Oxford University's official brand guidelines and include:

• Official Pantone references where available
• CMYK values for print applications
• RGB values for digital use
• Hex codes for web applications

Changelog

Version 1.0.0

• Initial release
• Complete Oxford color palette
• Context manager for temporary styling
• Comprehensive test suite
• Example gallery
• PyPI distribution ready