how to use 'extent' in matplotlib.pyplot.imshow

Question

I managed to plot my data and would like to add a background image (map) to it. Data is plotted by the long/lat values and I have the long/lat values for the image's three corners (top left, top right and bottom left) too.

I am trying to figure out how to use 'extent' option with imshow. However, the examples I found don't explain how to assign x and y for each corner ( in my case I have the information for three corners).

How can I assign the location of three corners for the image when adding it to the plot?

Thanks

Check the [origin and extent in imshow tutorial](https://matplotlib.org/tutorials/intermediate/imshow_extent.html). — ImportanceOfBeingErnest, Aug 12 '19 at 16:55

score 53 · Accepted Answer · edited Sep 20 '19 at 13:09

53

Specify, in the coordinates of your current axis, the corners of the rectangle that you want the image to be pasted over

Extent defines the left and right limits, and the bottom and top limits. It takes four values like so: extent=[horizontal_min,horizontal_max,vertical_min,vertical_max].

Assuming you have longitude along the horizontal axis, then use extent=[longitude_top_left,longitude_top_right,latitude_bottom_left,latitude_top_left]. longitude_top_left and longitude_bottom_left should be the same, latitude_top_left and latitude_top_right should be the same, and the values within these pairs are interchangeable.

If your first element of your image should be plotted in the lower left, then use the origin='lower' imshow option as well, otherwise the 'upper' default is what you want.

edited Sep 20 '19 at 13:09

ProfDFrancis

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answered Aug 09 '11 at 17:38

Yann

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Still not clear. What do you mean by "max of the horizontal values"? There are no values that are horizontal: there is a 2d matrix. Do you mean the maximum in each row? But there is a bunch of them. The maximum over those then? But then the horizontal and vertical are the same. – Victor Eijkhout Jun 16 '16 at 17:41
The max is the number written at the right edge of the matrix in the plot, the min is the number at the left edge. – Yann Jun 16 '16 at 18:24

Dave X · Answer 2 · 2015-07-30T18:42:00.787

Here's an example based on http://matplotlib.org/examples/pylab_examples/image_demo3.html showing use of extent.

#!/usr/bin/env python
from pylab import *
try:
    from PIL import Image
except ImportError, exc:
    raise SystemExit("PIL must be installed to run this example")

import matplotlib.cbook as cbook

datafile = cbook.get_sample_data('ada.png')
h = Image.open(datafile)
dpi = rcParams['figure.dpi']
figsize = h.size[0]/dpi, h.size[1]/dpi

figure(figsize=figsize)
ax = axes([0,0,1,1], frameon=False)
ax.set_axis_off()
ax.set_xlim(0,2)
ax.set_ylim(0,2)
im = imshow(h, origin='upper',extent=[-2,4,-2,4])  # axes zoom in on portion of image
im2 = imshow(h, origin='upper',extent=[0,.5,0,.5]) # image is a small inset on axes

show()

If you don't set your axis limits, they become your extents & then don't seem to have any effect.

how to use 'extent' in matplotlib.pyplot.imshow

2 Answers2

Specify, in the coordinates of your current axis, the corners of the rectangle that you want the image to be pasted over

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