Matplotlib

The foundational Python plotting library, best used when you need full control over every visual element or you're building custom plot types that higher-level tools can't handle. The skill walks you through both the pyplot interface and the object-oriented API, though it strongly recommends the latter for anything beyond quick exploration. You get solid coverage of the entire plotting hierarchy (Figure, Axes, Artist objects), subplot layouts with GridSpec, and export settings for publication-quality output. Honestly, if you just need statistical plots, reach for seaborn instead. But when you're wrestling with multi-panel scientific figures or need pixel-perfect customization for a journal, this is what you use.

Install to Claude Code

npx -y skills add k-dense-ai/scientific-agent-skills --skill matplotlib --agent claude-code