Python - Matplotlib: Define Individual Legend Entries

Question

When I plot the following:

plt.plot([0,1],[0,1],'g',label='Solid')
plt.plot([0,1],[.5,1],'b',label='Solid')
plt.plot([0,1],[1,0],'g--',label='Dashed')
plt.plot([0,1],[.5,0],'b--',label='Dashed')
plt.legend()

I get this image:

For me, this is too much legend text. Does anyone know, how I can join the solid blue and green line and the dashed blue and green line to reduce the legend to two entries with a green/blue (preferably the one on top of the other) line and the corresponding text? Thanks for your help

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 02 '19 at 16:52

2

Look at the possible signatures of legend(), i.e. legend(handles, labels).

It is also well described in the Legend Tutorial.

line1,  = plt.plot([0,1],[0,1],'g',label='Solid')
line2,  = plt.plot([0,1],[.5,1],'b',label='Solid')
plt.plot([0,1],[1,0],'g--',label='Dashed')
plt.plot([0,1],[.5,0],'b--',label='Dashed')
plt.legend((line1, line2), ('green', 'blue'))
plt.show()

answered Nov 02 '19 at 16:52

ascripter

5,665
12
45
68

Hi @ascripter. Thanks for your input, but DZurico linked me to the solution to what I wanted. – Gabriel Nov 07 '19 at 14:47

score 1 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 02 '19 at 17:00

1

As an alternative have a look at the solution in this post: Single legend item with two lines

A bit more complicated though

answered Nov 02 '19 at 17:00

DZurico

637
4
11

Hi @DZurico. It's exactly what I was looking for! Thanks so much! – Gabriel Nov 07 '19 at 14:47

Python - Matplotlib: Define Individual Legend Entries

2 Answers2