Unlocking LaTeX Graphics

LaTeX is used the world over, with online LaTeX editor Overleaf boasting over 11 million users. For embedding complex mathematical diagrams and data visualizations, TikZ and PGFPLOTS are essential tools that are fully integrated and compile with LaTeX. But with thousands of commands, options and styles available for use, getting up and running quickly can be daunting. Unlocking LaTeX Graphics boils down 1,800 pages of documentation to focus on the 10% of TikZ and PGFPLOTS commands that users need 90% of the time.

Key Features:
• Covers both TikZ and PGFPLOTS in just over 100 pages
• Summarizes each command in a single table with all key/value pairs
• Contains over 100 examples with source code available on GitHub and Overleaf
• Equips readers with the necessary knowledge to create compelling graphics

This self-contained reference enables readers to apply the most common operations in TikZ/PGF and PGFPLOTS. This book establishes fundamentals and builds up from there. Once you understand the underlying objects and operations, creating graphics is more intuitive. You can read this book straight through in a few hours, without needing to jump forward to understand commands that have not yet been introduced. It will continue to serve as a handy reference because each command is listed with all relevant key/value options in one place.

Topics include:
• Drawing lines and basic shapes, and moving around the drawing canvas (paths)
• Working with text and other elements in your diagrams (nodes)
• Using styles to enhance your graphical elements (colors, fonts, line styles, rotations)
• Advanced features such as math calculations, loops, and variables
• Packages for enhanced arrows, background drawing, and more
• Commands for rendering line, scatter, and bar plots from different data sources
• Structuring data files for plotting, including data transformations and handling missing data
• Plot refinements such as customizing legends, tick marks, fonts, and number formats
• Specialized commands for group plots to align multiple plots into one figure
• Advanced topics such as detaching legends and plotting mathematical expressions
• Recommended settings and best practices

This book is for novices just starting out as well as experts looking to better master these tools. The only prerequisite is a basic understanding of LaTeX. Dive in and discover the power of TikZ and PGFPLOTS at your fingertips.