synosys-styles

Matplotlib styling utilities and color palettes used in projects of the
Center Synergy of Systems (SynoSys).

The package provides:

• a curated Wes Anderson–inspired color palette
• highlight colors for emphasized curves
• named colors usable directly in matplotlib
• a simple function to configure consistent matplotlib defaults
• publication-friendly font and mathtext settings

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Installation

Install from PyPI:

pip install synosys-styles

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Quick start

Activate the SynoSys style at the beginning of your script:

import synosys_styles as ss
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt

ss.use()

plt.plot([0, 1, 2], [1, 2, 3], color="wes_teal")
plt.plot([0, 1, 2], [2, 2.5, 2.2], color="wes_hl_crimson", linewidth=3)

plt.xlabel(r"$x$")
plt.ylabel(r"$f(x)$")

plt.show()

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Example figure

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What use() does

Calling

ss.use()

applies SynoSys matplotlib defaults:

• registers named SynoSys colors
• sets a Wes-inspired default color cycle
• sets the default font family to Arial
• uses STIX math fonts for mathematical labels
• applies consistent legend styling

This ensures figures across projects have a consistent appearance.

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Palette preview

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Named colors

Base palette

wes_mint
wes_teal
wes_sand
wes_rust
wes_taupe
wes_mauvegray
wes_plum
wes_crimson
wes_ochre
wes_rosewood

Highlight palette

wes_hl_crimson
wes_hl_teal
wes_hl_gold
wes_hl_plum
wes_hl_dark

These colors can be used directly in matplotlib:

plt.plot(x, y, color="wes_teal")
plt.plot(x, y_mean, color="wes_hl_crimson", linewidth=3)

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Typical plotting pattern

A common use case is plotting many trajectories with an emphasized mean:

plt.plot(x, ensemble.T, color="wes_hl_dark", alpha=0.25)
plt.plot(x, mean, color="wes_hl_crimson", linewidth=3)

This produces a clear visual hierarchy between background curves and the main result.

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Font and math styling

synosys_styles uses:

font.family = "Arial"
mathtext.fontset = "stix"
text.usetex = False

This provides math-style labels similar to LaTeX while avoiding a full LaTeX dependency.

Example:

plt.xlabel(r"$t$")
plt.ylabel(r"$P(t)$")

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Development installation

To work on the package locally:

git clone https://github.com/dirkbrockmann/synosys-styles.git
cd synosys-styles
uv pip install -e .

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License

MIT License

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About SynoSys

SynoSys — Center Synergy of Systems

This package collects plotting styles used across SynoSys research projects to ensure consistent figure design.