Matplotlib doesn't show hatches in custom legend

Question

I create a custom legend, but he does not show the hatches of the patches. Whats wrong?

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib.patches import Patch
from pylab import *
t = arange(0.0, 2.0, 0.01)
s = sin(2*pi*t)
fig1 = plt.figure(1,(10,10))
plt.plot(t, s)
plt.xlabel('time (s)')
plt.ylabel('voltage (mV)')
plt.title('About as simple as it gets, folks')
plt.grid(True)
far_patch = Patch(color=[168/256,175/256,175/256], label='Farshore')
near_patch = Patch(color=[168/256,175/256,175/256], label='Nearshore',     hatch ='o')
legend=plt.legend(handles=[far_patch, near_patch],loc='upper left',     handlelength=1, handleheight=1,labelspacing=0,    fontsize=8,borderaxespad=0.3,handletextpad=0.2)

frame = legend.get_frame()
frame.set_edgecolor('none')

figureName='test'

plt.savefig(figureName+'.pdf',bbox_inches='tight',dpi=fig1.dpi)
plt.show()

Thanks

Danaus

please provide a minimal working example: stackoverflow.com/help/how-to-ask – Emmaemmalee

Answer 1

The color keyword from the Patch object will override both the facecolor and the edgecolor. So its propably showing the hatch correctly, but in the same color as the patch. Specifically setting the facecolor will solve it, and the edgecolor can be used to color the hatch.

So try:

near_patch = Patch(facecolor=[168/256,175/256,175/256], 
                   label='Nearshore', hatch ='o')

You can set the linewidth to zero if you only want to see the hatch.

Escapade