How to save the figure color bar only in matplotlib ?

Published: March 21, 2019

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Example of how to save the figure color bar only in matplotlib (by Andras Deak from Save colorbar for scatter plot separately)

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

def f(x,y):
    return (x+y)*np.exp(-5.0*(x**2+y**2))

X,Y = np.mgrid[-1:1:100j, -1:1:100j]

Z = f(X,Y)

plt.figure()
mpb = plt.pcolormesh(X,Y,Z,cmap='viridis')
plt.title('How to save the colorbar separartly in matplotlib ?',fontsize=10)
# plot the original without a colorbar
plt.savefig('plot_nocbar.png')

# plot a colorbar into the original to see distortion
plt.colorbar()
plt.savefig('plot_withcbar.png')

# draw a new figure and replot the colorbar there
fig,ax = plt.subplots()
plt.colorbar(mpb,ax=ax)
ax.remove()
plt.savefig('plot_onlycbar.png')

# save the same figure with some approximate autocropping
plt.savefig('plot_onlycbar_tight.png',bbox_inches='tight')

References

Links Site
Save colorbar for scatter plot separately stackoverflow
Axes.remove() matplotlib.org
matplotlib.pyplot.colorbar matplotlib.org
matplotlib.pyplot.savefig matplotlib.org
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