xkcd-py — Matplotlib Script Generator (xkcd / hand-drawn style)
Generate a Python plotting script that always follows the user's lab
xkcd template. The skill writes a .py file and returns its path; it does
not run the script. The user executes it themselves (preferred:
uv run <path> per their global preferences).
The canonical template lives at
~/Socialst/Templates/PyPlot_Template/xkcd_plot.py. Every variant in this
skill is a structural extension of that file, normalized to the same
pparam + ax-object pattern as scienceplot-py.
Mandatory style invariants
Every generated script MUST keep these load-bearing patterns intact. Do not
"clean up" any of them.
- xkcd context block — all plotting (and
savefig) lives inside
with plt.xkcd():. Never substitute plt.rcParams.update(...) or call
any plotting outside this block; once the with exits, rcParams are
restored and a later savefig will lose the xkcd fonts.
pparam dict — axis configuration is a dict, applied with
ax.set(**pparam). Do not inline ax.set_xlabel(...), set_ylabel(...),
set_title(...) calls when pparam would do.ax.autoscale(tight=True) — called on every axis, before
ax.set(**pparam). For subplots, loop over all axes.- Raw-string LaTeX — every label, title, legend entry uses
r'...'.
xkcd uses matplotlib's mathtext for $...$ blocks (not real LaTeX);
raw strings still matter the moment a backslash appears.
- figsize
(10, 6) — xkcd-style figures need a wider canvas than the
matplotlib default for the hand-drawn font and stroke widths to read
cleanly. Pass figsize=(10, 6) to plt.subplots(...). For subplots
(rows × cols), scale proportionally.
- savefig —
fig.savefig(<path>, dpi=300, bbox_inches='tight').
Default filename is plot.png. DPI is 300 (not 600). xkcd plots
are deliberately sketchy; 600 dpi adds no value and bloats the file.
Font note
xkcd uses Humor Sans / xkcd-Script / Comic Neue. If none are installed,
matplotlib falls back to Bitstream Vera Sans and emits a findfont: Font family ['xkcd Script', ...] not found warning. The plot still
renders — the warning is informational. Do not try to suppress it; do not
install fonts as part of the skill.
Workflow
- Gather what the user has not already given:
- Data source: parquet / CSV /
.npy / .npz, plus the file path
- x / y column or array names (and y-error if errorbar)
- Plot variant: single line, multi-line + legend, scatter / errorbar, or
subplots (rows × cols)
- Axis labels, title, legend labels (LaTeX OK — strings will be wrapped
in raw-string form)
- Output path (default:
plot.png next to the data file or in cwd)
- Pick the matching template under
references/:
single_line.py — one series, one ax (mirrors xkcd_plot.py)multi_line.py — multiple series, one ax, with legendscatter_errorbar.py — ax.errorbar(...) (or ax.scatter(...))subplots.py — multi-panel fig, axes = plt.subplots(rows, cols)
- Swap in the requested data-loader block. See
references/data_loaders.md for parquet / CSV / .npy / .npz
snippets.
- Substitute column names, label strings, title, output filename. Preserve
every invariant from the section above.
- Write the
.py file with the Write tool. Do not execute it.
- Print the output path and a one-line "run with
uv run <path>" hint.
Do not invoke uv / python from this skill.
Data sources
| Source |
Imports |
Read call |
| Parquet |
import pandas as pd |
df = pd.read_parquet('data.parquet') |
| CSV |
import pandas as pd |
df = pd.read_csv('data.csv') |
NumPy .npy |
import numpy as np |
data = np.load('data.npy') (then column-slice) |
NumPy .npz |
import numpy as np |
data = np.load('data.npz'); x = data['x'] |
Full snippets in references/data_loaders.md.
Templates
| Variant |
File |
| Single line (base) |
references/single_line.py |
| Multi-line + legend |
references/multi_line.py |
| Scatter / errorbar |
references/scatter_errorbar.py |
| Subplots (multi-panel) |
references/subplots.py |
| Data loaders |
references/data_loaders.md |
What this skill does NOT do
- It does not run the generated script. The user runs it (preferred:
uv run <path>).
- It does not install matplotlib / pandas / numpy or any xkcd font.
- It does not produce publication-quality
science+nature plots — for
those, use the scienceplot-py skill.
- It does not change the style invariants. If the user asks for
publication-style or different DPI, suggest
scienceplot-py instead of
bending xkcd-py's invariants.
1---2name: xkcd-py3description: Generate a Python matplotlib plot script following the user's mandatory xkcd style — `with plt.xkcd():` context, `pparam = dict(...)` axis-config, raw-string LaTeX labels, wide canvas (`figsize=(10, 6)`), `dpi=300` savefig. Supports parquet / CSV / NumPy (`.npy`, `.npz`) and four variants: single line, multi-line + legend, scatter / errorbar, multi-panel subplots. Writes the `.py` only — does NOT execute it; the user runs it (typically `uv run`). Use when asked to write an xkcd-style / hand-drawn / sketch-style matplotlib script, plot data in xkcd style from parquet / CSV / `.npy`, scaffold an xkcd line / scatter / errorbar / subplot script, or match the lab's xkcd template. Triggers on: xkcd plot, xkcd matplotlib, xkcd style, hand-drawn / sketch plot, plt.xkcd, comic-style plot; xkcd 플롯, xkcd 그래프, 손그림 그래프, 스케치 스타일 플롯, xkcd 스크립트, xkcd 코드.4---56# xkcd-py — Matplotlib Script Generator (xkcd / hand-drawn style)78Generate a Python plotting script that **always** follows the user's lab9xkcd template. The skill writes a `.py` file and returns its path; it does10not run the script. The user executes it themselves (preferred:11`uv run <path>` per their global preferences).1213The canonical template lives at14`~/Socialst/Templates/PyPlot_Template/xkcd_plot.py`. Every variant in this15skill is a structural extension of that file, normalized to the same16`pparam` + ax-object pattern as `scienceplot-py`.1718## Mandatory style invariants1920Every generated script MUST keep these load-bearing patterns intact. Do not21"clean up" any of them.22231. **xkcd context block** — all plotting (and `savefig`) lives inside24 `with plt.xkcd():`. Never substitute `plt.rcParams.update(...)` or call25 any plotting outside this block; once the `with` exits, rcParams are26 restored and a later `savefig` will lose the xkcd fonts.272. **`pparam` dict** — axis configuration is a dict, applied with28 `ax.set(**pparam)`. Do not inline `ax.set_xlabel(...)`, `set_ylabel(...)`,29 `set_title(...)` calls when `pparam` would do.303. **`ax.autoscale(tight=True)`** — called on every axis, before31 `ax.set(**pparam)`. For subplots, loop over all axes.324. **Raw-string LaTeX** — every label, title, legend entry uses `r'...'`.33 xkcd uses matplotlib's `mathtext` for `$...$` blocks (not real LaTeX);34 raw strings still matter the moment a backslash appears.355. **figsize `(10, 6)`** — xkcd-style figures need a wider canvas than the36 matplotlib default for the hand-drawn font and stroke widths to read37 cleanly. Pass `figsize=(10, 6)` to `plt.subplots(...)`. For subplots38 (rows × cols), scale proportionally.396. **savefig** — `fig.savefig(<path>, dpi=300, bbox_inches='tight')`.40 Default filename is `plot.png`. **DPI is 300 (not 600).** xkcd plots41 are deliberately sketchy; 600 dpi adds no value and bloats the file.4243## Font note4445xkcd uses Humor Sans / xkcd-Script / Comic Neue. If none are installed,46matplotlib falls back to Bitstream Vera Sans and emits a `findfont:47Font family ['xkcd Script', ...] not found` warning. The plot still48renders — the warning is informational. Do not try to suppress it; do not49install fonts as part of the skill.5051## Workflow52531. Gather what the user has not already given:54 - Data source: parquet / CSV / `.npy` / `.npz`, plus the file path55 - x / y column or array names (and y-error if errorbar)56 - Plot variant: single line, multi-line + legend, scatter / errorbar, or57 subplots (rows × cols)58 - Axis labels, title, legend labels (LaTeX OK — strings will be wrapped59 in raw-string form)60 - Output path (default: `plot.png` next to the data file or in cwd)612. Pick the matching template under `references/`:62 - `single_line.py` — one series, one ax (mirrors `xkcd_plot.py`)63 - `multi_line.py` — multiple series, one ax, with legend64 - `scatter_errorbar.py` — `ax.errorbar(...)` (or `ax.scatter(...)`)65 - `subplots.py` — multi-panel `fig, axes = plt.subplots(rows, cols)`663. Swap in the requested data-loader block. See67 `references/data_loaders.md` for parquet / CSV / `.npy` / `.npz`68 snippets.694. Substitute column names, label strings, title, output filename. Preserve70 every invariant from the section above.715. Write the `.py` file with the Write tool. **Do not execute it.**726. Print the output path and a one-line "run with `uv run <path>`" hint.73 Do not invoke `uv` / `python` from this skill.7475## Data sources7677| Source | Imports | Read call |78|---------------|------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|79| Parquet | `import pandas as pd` | `df = pd.read_parquet('data.parquet')` |80| CSV | `import pandas as pd` | `df = pd.read_csv('data.csv')` |81| NumPy `.npy` | `import numpy as np` | `data = np.load('data.npy')` (then column-slice) |82| NumPy `.npz` | `import numpy as np` | `data = np.load('data.npz'); x = data['x']` |8384Full snippets in `references/data_loaders.md`.8586## Templates8788| Variant | File |89|------------------------|---------------------------------------|90| Single line (base) | `references/single_line.py` |91| Multi-line + legend | `references/multi_line.py` |92| Scatter / errorbar | `references/scatter_errorbar.py` |93| Subplots (multi-panel) | `references/subplots.py` |94| Data loaders | `references/data_loaders.md` |9596## What this skill does NOT do9798- It does not run the generated script. The user runs it (preferred:99 `uv run <path>`).100- It does not install matplotlib / pandas / numpy or any xkcd font.101- It does not produce publication-quality `science`+`nature` plots — for102 those, use the `scienceplot-py` skill.103- It does not change the style invariants. If the user asks for104 publication-style or different DPI, suggest `scienceplot-py` instead of105 bending xkcd-py's invariants.
Axect