[Matplotlib-users] using TeX backend on windows version of matplotlib?

[Michael G. <mic...@gm...>]

Hello all,

First of all, I would like to say thank you to the matplotlib developers fo=
r
implementing a nice hack that enables a free python environment to rival th=
e
functionality and power of matlab.

My question is whether it is possible to use the TeX backend to render font=
s
under the windows versions of matplotlib? I am interested in mixing standar=
d
text with math text as labels on plots. The standard matplotlib font backen=
d
can almost do this, but it is not robust, is hard to work with, and the
results don't look very professional. On the contrary, the TeX backend is
clean and conformant (but it only appears to work on UNIX systems with TeX
installed). For example, this code

import pylab
pylab.rc('text', usetex=3DTrue)
pylab.xlabel(r'normal text ($\alpha$)')
pylab.plot(range(0,5))
pylab.show()

will not work on the windows version of matplotlib, but produces beatiful
labels on the linux version. FYI, the above "rc" command is what requests
the TeX backend rather than the default.

Thanks for your thoughts, ideas, and candor.

Mike Gilbert