[FIXED] matplotlib: change title and colorbar text and tick colors

Issue

I wanted to know how to change the color of the ticks in the colorbar and how to change the font color of the title and colorbar in a figure. For example, things obviously are visible in temp.png but not in temp2.png:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
from numpy.random import randn

fig = plt.figure()
data = np.clip(randn(250,250),-1,1)
cax = plt.imshow(data, interpolation='nearest')
plt.title('my random fig')
plt.colorbar()

# works fine
plt.savefig('temp.png')
# title and colorbar ticks and text hidden
plt.savefig('temp2.png', facecolor="black", edgecolor="none")

Thanks

Solution

(Update: The information in this answer is outdated, please scroll below for other answers which is up to date and better suited to new version)

This can be done by inspecting and setting properties for object handler in matplotlib.

I edited your code and put some explanation in comment:

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np
from numpy.random import randn

fig = plt.figure()
data = np.clip(randn(250,250),-1,1)
cax = plt.imshow(data, interpolation='nearest')

title_obj = plt.title('my random fig') #get the title property handler
plt.getp(title_obj)                    #print out the properties of title
plt.getp(title_obj, 'text')            #print out the 'text' property for title
plt.setp(title_obj, color='r')         #set the color of title to red

axes_obj = plt.getp(cax,'axes')                 #get the axes' property handler
ytl_obj = plt.getp(axes_obj, 'yticklabels')     #get the properties for 
                                                #  yticklabels
plt.getp(ytl_obj)                               #print out a list of properties
                                                #  for yticklabels
plt.setp(ytl_obj, color="r")                    #set the color of yticks to red

plt.setp(plt.getp(axes_obj, 'xticklabels'), color='r') #xticklabels: same

color_bar = plt.colorbar()                            #this one is a little bit
cbytick_obj = plt.getp(color_bar.ax.axes, 'yticklabels')                #tricky
plt.setp(cbytick_obj, color='r')

plt.savefig('temp.png')
plt.savefig('temp2.png', facecolor="black", edgecolor="none")

Answered By - EwyynTomato