07. Plot Labels, Titles & Typography

A chart without labels is just abstract art. Clear typography and descriptive units transform raw data curves into actionable business and engineering intelligence.

Mental Model Intuition

The signposts and street names on a map that guide the reader's eye.

Core Concepts & Mechanics

Title Formatting OptionsTypography

`fontsize`, `fontweight` ('bold', 'normal'), `color`, and `loc` ('left', 'center', 'right').

Left-aligned titles (`loc='left'`) are standard in modern journalism and tech executive dashboards.

plt.title('Sales Report', loc='left', fontsize=14)

Common Beginner Mistakes & Pro Fixes

Avoid the top errors and bad plotting practices that trip up new Python developers

Troubleshooting

Quick Lesson Takeaways

`plt.title()` gives the figure a headline.
`plt.xlabel()` and `plt.ylabel()` define the physical units of measurement.
Custom `fontsize` and `fontweight` establish visual hierarchy.

Topic 7 • Python IDE

Python 3.12 • Matplotlib

Presets:

Ctrl + Enter to run

Run Python code to inspect terminal output.

Real-World Datasets (1-Click Switcher)

Switch from abstract numbers to relatable Cricket, Cinema & Business charts

5 Curated Datasets

Hands-on Challenge: Set Axes Labels

+50 XP

Write Matplotlib code to solve the objective and see your live plot render

Objective Instructions:

Plot `x=[1, 2, 3]` and `y=[10, 20, 30]`, set xlabel to 'Speed (m/s)' and ylabel to 'Kinetic Energy (J)'.

Required Keywords:✓ plt.xlabel✓ plt.ylabel

Challenge Code Editor

Challenge Output GraphLive Vector Preview

Write code on the left to render live challenge plot

End of Lesson Knowledge Check

Quick Mini Quiz: 2 Concept Questions

Test your understanding to unlock the lesson completion badge

Which Matplotlib function is used to create a standard continuous 2D line plot?

What must you call after specifying label='...' so that the legend actually appears on the canvas?

0 of 2 answered

Colors, Hex Codes & Named Palettes

Next Lesson

Grid Lines & Axis Limits (xlim / ylim)