How to use unicode symbols in matplotlib?

Unicode symbols are used to enhance the visual appeal or provide additional context to plots. Unicode characters in Python are represented by code points prefixed with \u.

To render Unicode characters correctly, ensure that:

1. The font used by Matplotlib supports the Unicode symbol.
2. The Unicode string is prefixed with u, as in u"\u2739" for the star (*) symbol.

Methods to Use Unicode in Matplotlib

1. FontProperties Class

The FontProperties class in Matplotlib allows you to specify custom fonts for rendering text. It is important to select a font that supports the Unicode characters you want to display.

Output:

Unicode is a universal character encoding standard that allows computers to represent and manipulate text from various languages and symbol sets. In Python, Unicode is typically handled using UTF-8 encoding, which is compatible with most systems.

2. Using Unicode Escape Sequences

You can use Unicode escape sequences directly within your strings to represent characters. This is one of the simplest and most efficient ways to include Unicode symbols in your plots.

Output:

3. Setting Global Font Properties

Setting global font properties in Matplotlib ensures that all text elements (titles, labels, annotations, etc.) use the specified font throughout your plots.

Output:

For example, 'DejaVu Sans': Ensures all text elements (e.g., plt.text, labels, titles) use the same font that supports Unicode.