simple-plot

A simple, pgfplots-like function plotting library for Typst. Create beautiful mathematical plots with minimal code.

Note: This package is built on top of CeTZ v0.5.2.

Manual

A full manual is available in docs/manual.pdf.

Gallery

Click on an image to see the source code.



Parabola	Trigonometric Functions	Scatter Plot

Exponential & Logarithmic	Data with Model Fit	Marker Types

Extended Axes	Area Fills & Riemann Sums	Volume of Revolution

Riemann Sum Features	Zoom / Spy Insets

Features

Simple API — Plot functions with just a few lines of code
Multiple plot types — Functions, scatter plots, line plots with markers
Customizable axes — Position, labels, ticks, and tick labels; default $x$/$y$ labels at arrow tips (tkz-fct style)
Stealth arrows — Elegant axis arrowheads matching LaTeX/pgfplots style
Axis extension — Extend axes beyond plot area for cleaner appearance
Grid support — Major and minor grids with custom styling
14 marker types — Circles, squares, triangles, diamonds, stars, and more
Origin label control — Toggle origin '0' label display
Global defaults — Set defaults for all plots in your document
Riemann sums — Left/right/midpoint/lower/upper rectangles; endpoint dots with labels and arrows; Δx bracket; $x_i$ subdivision labels
Volume of revolution — 3D-style solids: arbitrary axis (horizontal, shifted, or oblique), end caps, disk cross-sections, optional coordinate axes
Zoom / spy insets — Magnified sub-views with rectangular or circular spy glass, connector lines, and customizable accent colors
Full styling — Customize colors, strokes, backgrounds, and more

Quick Start

#import "@preview/simple-plot:0.9.0": plot

#plot(
  xmin: -3, xmax: 3,
  ymin: -1, ymax: 9,
  show-grid: true,
  (fn: x => calc.pow(x, 2), stroke: blue + 1.5pt),
)

Axis labels default to $x$ and $y$ — no need to set them explicitly.

Basic Usage

Plotting Functions

#import "@preview/simple-plot:0.9.0": plot

// Single function
#plot(
  xmin: -5, xmax: 5,
  ymin: -5, ymax: 5,
  show-grid: "major",
  (fn: x => calc.sin(x), stroke: blue + 1.5pt),
)

// Multiple functions
#plot(
  xmin: -2 * calc.pi, xmax: 2 * calc.pi,
  ymin: -1.5, ymax: 1.5,
  (fn: x => calc.sin(x), stroke: blue + 1.2pt, label: $sin(x)$),
  (fn: x => calc.cos(x), stroke: red + 1.2pt, label: $cos(x)$),
)

Scatter Plots

#import "@preview/simple-plot:0.9.0": plot, data

#plot(
  xmin: 0, xmax: 10,
  ymin: 0, ymax: 10,
  show-grid: true,
  data(
    ((1, 2), (2, 3.5), (3, 2.8), (4, 5.2), (5, 4.8)),
    mark: "*",
    mark-fill: blue,
  ),
)

Line Plots with Markers

#import "@preview/simple-plot:0.9.0": plot, line-plot

#plot(
  xmin: 0, xmax: 10,
  ymin: 0, ymax: 12,
  axis-x-pos: "bottom",
  axis-y-pos: "left",
  line-plot(
    ((0, 0), (1, 0.5), (2, 1.8), (3, 4.2), (4, 5.1)),
    stroke: blue + 1.2pt,
    mark: "*",
    mark-fill: blue,
  ),
)

Function Labels with Positioning

Control the placement of function labels using label-pos and label-side:

#plot(
  xmin: -5, xmax: 5,
  ymin: -3, ymax: 5,
  show-grid: true,
  (fn: x => 0.2 * calc.pow(x, 2) - 2,
   stroke: blue + 1.5pt,
   label: $f(x)$,
   label-pos: 0.9,           // position along curve (0–1)
   label-side: "below-right" // placement relative to point
  ),
  (fn: x => -0.5 * x + 1,
   stroke: red + 1.5pt,
   label: $g(x)$,
   label-pos: 0.2,
   label-side: "above-right"
  ),
)

Available label-side options: "above", "below", "left", "right", "above-left", "above-right", "below-left", "below-right"

Mathematical Functions

Function	Typst syntax
Power $x^n$	`calc.pow(x, n)`
Square root	`calc.sqrt(x)`
Absolute value	`calc.abs(x)`
Sine, Cosine, Tangent	`calc.sin(x)`, `calc.cos(x)`, `calc.tan(x)`
Exponential $e^x$	`calc.exp(x)`
Natural log	`calc.ln(x)`
Log base b	`calc.log(x, base: b)`

Important: Use decimal notation (e.g. 2.0 not 2) inside lambda functions to avoid type errors.

Pedagogical Plot Helpers

Rational Function Wrapper

plot-rational is a thin wrapper around plot with defaults suited to rational-function exercises: centered axes, a visible grid, and one main function curve. Extra positional arguments are forwarded as additional series, so asymptotes and points can be added normally.

#import "@preview/simple-plot:0.9.0": plot-rational, hline

#plot-rational(
  x => (x + 1) / (x - 2),
  xmin: -5, xmax: 5,
  ymin: -6, ymax: 6,
  vertical-asymptotes: (2,),
  hline(1, stroke: stroke(paint: red, thickness: 0.7pt, dash: "dashed")),
)

Local Limit Schemas

limit-schema draws compact schematic behavior near a point a. Use finite numbers for one-sided limits, "+oo" / "-oo" for vertical asymptotic behavior, and val for the defined value at the point. schema-lim is available as an alias.

#import "@preview/simple-plot:0.9.0": limit-schema

#limit-schema(a: 1, left: 4, right: 4)              // removable hole
#limit-schema(a: 2, left: "+oo", right: "-oo")      // vertical asymptote
#limit-schema(a: 0, left: -1, right: 1, val: 0)     // jump with defined value

Parameters Reference

Plot Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`xmin`, `xmax`	float	-5, 5	X-axis range
`ymin`, `ymax`	float	-5, 5	Y-axis range
`width`, `height`	float	6, 6	Plot size in cm
`scale`	float	1	Scale factor for the entire plot
`xlabel`, `ylabel`	content	$x$ , $y$	Axis labels (tkz-fct style: tucked beside the arrow tips)
`show-grid`	bool/str	false	`true`, `false`, `"major"`, `"minor"`, `"both"`
`minor-grid-step`	int	5	Minor grid subdivisions per major tick
`grid-label-break`	bool	true	Gap in grid lines around tick labels
`axis-x-pos`	float/str	0	X-axis position: value, `"bottom"`, `"center"`
`axis-y-pos`	float/str	0	Y-axis position: value, `"left"`, `"center"`
`axis-x-extend`	float/array	(0, 0.5)	Extend X-axis beyond grid: value or `(left, right)`
`axis-y-extend`	float/array	(0, 0.5)	Extend Y-axis beyond grid: value or `(bottom, top)`
`show-origin`	bool	true	Show "0" label at origin
`unit-label-only`	bool	false	Show only "1" on axes for minimal style
`show-end-ticks`	bool	true	Keep the tick/label at `xmax`/`ymax` when it lands on a tick (e.g. show "5"), pushing the axis slightly past it so the arrow clears the label
`font`	str/array	document font	Font applied to all generated text (tick labels, axis labels, origin, annotations)

Axis Label Placement

Labels default to tkz-fct style: $x$ sits just above the axis a little left of the right arrow, $y$ sits just left of the axis a little below the top arrow. This keeps them clear of the tick numbers (which sit below / left of the axis).

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`xlabel-pos`	str/array	`"end"`	`"end"`, `"center"`, or `(x, y)` in data coords
`ylabel-pos`	str/array	`"end"`	same
`xlabel-anchor`	str/auto	`auto`	CeTZ anchor; `auto` → `"south-east"` at the right arrow tip
`ylabel-anchor`	str/auto	`auto`	CeTZ anchor; `auto` → `"north-east"` at the top arrow tip
`xlabel-offset`	array	`(-0.05, 0.08)`	Offset `(x, y)` in cm from arrow tip
`ylabel-offset`	array	`(-0.08, -0.05)`	Offset `(x, y)` in cm from arrow tip

Tick Configuration

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`xtick`, `ytick`	auto/none/array	auto	Tick positions
`xtick-step`, `ytick-step`	auto/float	1	Step between ticks
`xtick-label-step`, `ytick-label-step`	int	1	Show label every N ticks
`xtick-labels`, `ytick-labels`	auto/array	auto	Custom tick labels

Function Specification

(
  fn: x => ...,           // Required: the function
  stroke: blue + 1.2pt,   // Line style
  domain: (min, max),     // Restrict domain
  samples: 100,           // Sample points
  label: $f(x)$,          // Label content
  label-pos: 0.8,         // Position along curve (0–1)
  label-side: "above",    // "above", "below", "left", "right", "above-left", …
  mark: "o",              // Marker type
  mark-size: 0.1,
  mark-fill: white,
  mark-stroke: blue,
  mark-interval: 10,      // Show marker every N points
)

Riemann Sums

#import "@preview/simple-plot:0.9.0": plot, riemann-sum

#plot(
  xmin: 0, xmax: 3, ymin: 0, ymax: 5,
  riemann-sum(
    x => calc.pow(x, 2),
    domain: (0.0, 3.0),
    n: 6,
    method: "left",
    color: blue.lighten(75%),
    show-points: true,       // dots at evaluation points with arrows
    show-dx: true,           // Δx bracket under one rectangle
    show-xi: true,           // x₀, x₁, …, x₆ labels along axis
  ),
  (fn: x => calc.pow(x, 2), stroke: blue + 1.5pt),
)

`riemann-sum` Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`fn`	function	—	Function to integrate
`domain`	array	plot range	`(a, b)`
`n`	int	4	Number of rectangles
`method`	str	`"right"`	`"left"`, `"right"`, `"mid"`, `"lower"`, `"upper"`
`baseline`	float	0	Y-level of rectangle bases
`color`	color	`luma(220)`	Rectangle fill
`stroke`	stroke	`luma(80) + 0.6pt`	Rectangle border
`hatch`	str/none	none	Hatch pattern: `"ne"`, `"nw"`, `"h"`, `"v"`, `"cross"`, `"grid"`
`hatch-spacing`	length	`5pt`	Spacing between hatch lines
`hatch-stroke`	stroke	`luma(80) + 0.5pt`	Stroke for hatch lines
`samples`	int	20	Samples per subinterval for `"lower"`/`"upper"`
`show-points`	bool	false	Draw dot at each evaluation point
`point-color`	color	`rgb("#c94a00")`	Dot fill color
`point-size`	float	0.07	Dot radius in cm
`point-label`	content/auto/none	`auto`	Label with arrows to dots; `auto` = method name
`point-label-pos`	array/auto	`auto`	`(x, y)` in data coords; `auto` = upper-right of dots
`show-dx`	bool	false	Draw Δx dimension bracket under one rectangle
`dx-rect`	int/auto	`auto`	Rectangle index to annotate (0-based); `auto` = middle
`dx-label`	content	$Delta x$	Bracket label
`show-xi`	bool	false	Draw $x_0, x_1, \ldots, x_n$ at subdivision points
`xi-labels`	array/auto	`auto`	Custom labels array; `auto` = subscripted $x_i$
`xi-show-values`	bool	false	Show numeric x-values instead of $x_i$ notation

Methods:

"left" / "right" / "mid" — evaluation at left endpoint, right endpoint, or midpoint
"lower" / "upper" — true infimum/supremum (sampled within each subinterval); works for any function shape including U-curves

Volume of Revolution

#import "@preview/simple-plot:0.9.0": volume-of-revolution

#volume-of-revolution(
  x => calc.sqrt(x),
  domain: (0.0, 4.0),
  n-disks: 5,
  width: 8.0,
  height: 4.0,
  show-yaxis: true,
  label-a: $0$,
  label-b: $4$,
  label-f: $f(x)=sqrt(x)$,
)

solid-of-revolution is an alias for backward compatibility.

`volume-of-revolution` Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`fn`	function	—	Profile function $y = f(x) > 0$
`domain`	array	`(0, 4)`	`(a, b)` — interval of revolution
`n-disks`	int	4	Intermediate disk cross-sections to show
`width`, `height`	float	5, 3.5	Canvas size in cm
`samples`	int	60	Profile sampling points
`axis-y`	float	0	Y-value of revolution axis (default: x-axis)
`axis-slope`	float	0	Slope $m$ of revolution axis: $y = mx + \text{axis_y}$
`show-axis`	bool	true	Draw the revolution axis arrow
`show-yaxis`	bool	false	Draw a coordinate y-axis (`show-y-axis` is the canonical spelling)
`y-axis-x` / `yaxis-x`	auto/float	`auto`	X position for the y-axis; `auto` = left of volume
`y-axis-offset`	float	0.45	Gap between the y-axis and the volume when `y-axis-x: auto`
`y-axis-extend`	array	`(0.35, 0.45)`	Y-axis padding `(below, above)` the volume
`show-radius-marker`	bool	false	Draw a vertical radius dimension marker at `yaxis-x`
`show-back`	bool	true	Draw the back face and bottom profile
`show-labels`	bool	true	Show $a$, $b$, $f$ labels
`profile-stroke`	stroke	`blue + 1.5pt`	Top profile curve
`disk-color`	color	`luma(218)`	Solid body fill
`disk-stroke`	stroke	`luma(90) + 0.6pt`	Disk edge stroke
`axis-stroke`	stroke	`black + 0.7pt`	Revolution axis stroke
`label-a`, `label-b`	content	$a$ , $b$	Domain endpoint labels
`label-f`	content	$f$	Function label
`label-y`	content	$y$	Y-axis label

Marker Types

Type	Description	Type	Description
`"o"`	Hollow circle	`"*"`	Filled circle
`"square"`	Hollow square	`"square*"`	Filled square
`"triangle"`	Hollow triangle	`"triangle*"`	Filled triangle
`"diamond"`	Hollow diamond	`"diamond*"`	Filled diamond
`"star"`	Hollow star	`"star*"`	Filled star
`"+"`	Plus sign	`"x"`	Cross
`"	"`	Vertical bar	`"-"`
`"none"`	No marker

Custom Styling

#plot(
  style: (
    background: (
      fill: rgb("#202124"),
    ),
    axis: (
      stroke: white + 1pt,
      arrow: (symbol: "stealth", fill: white, scale: 0.55),
    ),
    grid: (
      major: (stroke: luma(120) + 0.5pt),
      minor: (stroke: luma(80) + 0.3pt),
    ),
    ticks: (
      length: 0.1,
      stroke: white + 0.6pt,
      label-offset: 0.15,
      label-size: 10pt,
      label-fill: white,
    ),
    labels: (
      fill: white,
    ),
  ),
  // ...
)

Setting Global Defaults

#import "@preview/simple-plot:0.9.0": set-plot-defaults, reset-plot-defaults

#set-plot-defaults(width: 6, height: 4, show-grid: "major")

// All subsequent plots use these defaults
#plot(xmin: -2, xmax: 2, ymin: 0, ymax: 4,
  (fn: x => calc.pow(x, 2)))

#reset-plot-defaults()

Comparison with Other Plotting Libraries

simple-plot is designed for mathematical function plotting with a focus on simplicity and ease of use. Choose simple-plot when you need to:

Plot mathematical functions quickly with minimal boilerplate code
Create publication-quality plots for math, physics, or engineering documents
Use a familiar API similar to pgfplots/matplotlib for straightforward plotting tasks

Alternatives:

cetz-plot: Better for business charts and general data visualization (pie, bar, pyramid charts).
lilaq: More powerful for complex scientific visualizations (colormesh, contour, quiver) but steeper learning curve.

Dependencies

CeTZ (v0.5.2+)

License

MIT License — see LICENSE file for details.

Changelog

[0.9.0] - 2026-06-15

Added

Complete parameter reference for all public functions — scatter, data, line-plot, func-plot, plot-fn, parametric, and series now have full parameter tables in the manual
New manual sections — dedicated sections for fill-area, area-between, fill-closed, note, vline, hline, and parametric plots
origin-* parameters — origin-x, origin-y, origin-label, origin-size documented in axis configuration table
Discontinuity handling — added note on returning none from plot functions to create gaps

Fixed

Wrong defaults corrected in axis configuration table (xlabel-anchor, ylabel-anchor, offsets)
Removed non-existent marker aliases (s, ^, d) from marker reference table
Incorrect label-pos description and removed fake label-at field from function spec table
Minor grid added to Grid Modes gallery preview

[0.8.0] - 2026-05-21

Added

riemann-sum: complete feature documentation — full API table with all 23 parameters: method ("left", "right", "mid", "lower", "upper"), hatch controls (hatch, hatch-spacing, hatch-stroke), annotation flags (show-points, point-color, point-size, point-label, point-label-pos, show-dx, dx-rect, dx-label, show-xi, xi-labels, xi-show-values), and samples
volume-of-revolution: complete feature documentation — full API table with all parameters including axis-y, axis-slope, show-y-axis, yaxis-x, y-axis-offset, y-axis-extend, show-radius-marker, show-back, show-labels, label params; solid-of-revolution alias documented
Gallery: riemann-features.typ — 8-demo showcase of all Riemann sum features side by side

[0.7.0] - 2026-05-21

Fixed

Riemann sum xi-label x-shift on y-axis increased from 0.18 to 0.35 to prevent overlap with axis line

[0.6.0] - 2026-05-21

Added

volume-of-revolution — renamed from solid-of-revolution (alias kept); supports arbitrary revolution axis via axis-y and axis-slope; new show-yaxis, show-back, label-y parameters; ellipses rendered via polygon points for smoother output
Riemann sum: "lower"/"upper" methods — true infimum/supremum by sampling within each subinterval; works for U-curves and any shape
Riemann sum: endpoint dots — show-points, point-color, point-size, point-label, point-label-pos; draws dots at evaluation points with a text label and stealth arrows
Riemann sum: Δx bracket — show-dx, dx-rect, dx-label; dimension bracket with tick marks under a chosen rectangle
Riemann sum: subdivision labels — show-xi, xi-labels; draws $x_0, x_1, \ldots, x_n$ at subdivision points
Default axis labels — xlabel and ylabel now default to $x$ and $y$ (tkz-fct style)
Axis label placement — new defaults: x below-right of arrowhead ("north-west" anchor), y to the left ("east" anchor); matches standard math textbook style

Fixed

Axis arrow style changed from bare "stealth" string (inherited large global scale) to explicit (symbol: "stealth", fill: black, scale: 0.55) — arrows are now elegantly sized
Global mark scale removed from canvas set-style to avoid oversizing user-defined marks

[0.3.0] - 2026-02-18

Changed

Grid label break: gap-based grid drawing replaces white-box overlay; works on any background color

Fixed

Origin label no longer duplicates when show-origin: true and axes cross at origin

[0.2.6] - 2026-02-04

Added

Grid label breaks, integer tick defaults, xtick-label-step/ytick-label-step, unit-label-only, axis arrows extending beyond grid

[0.2.5] - 2026-01-27

Fixed

label-pos now respects explicit function domains

[0.2.0] - 2026-01-15

Added

axis-x-extend, axis-y-extend, show-origin, label-side, Liang-Barsky clipping

[0.1.0] - 2026-01-13

Added

Initial release: function plotting, scatter/line plots, 14 marker types, customizable axes, grid, ticks, labels, global defaults

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 25 Commits
docs		docs
gallery		gallery
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
lib.typ		lib.typ
typst.toml		typst.toml

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simple-plot

Manual

Gallery

Features

Quick Start

Basic Usage

Plotting Functions

Scatter Plots

Line Plots with Markers

Function Labels with Positioning

Mathematical Functions

Pedagogical Plot Helpers

Rational Function Wrapper

Local Limit Schemas

Parameters Reference

Plot Parameters

Axis Label Placement

Tick Configuration

Function Specification

Riemann Sums

riemann-sum Parameters

Volume of Revolution

volume-of-revolution Parameters

Marker Types

Custom Styling

Setting Global Defaults

Comparison with Other Plotting Libraries

Dependencies

License

Changelog

[0.9.0] - 2026-06-15

Added

Fixed

[0.8.0] - 2026-05-21

Added

[0.7.0] - 2026-05-21

Fixed

[0.6.0] - 2026-05-21

Added

Fixed

[0.3.0] - 2026-02-18

Changed

Fixed

[0.2.6] - 2026-02-04

Added

[0.2.5] - 2026-01-27

Fixed

[0.2.0] - 2026-01-15

Added

[0.1.0] - 2026-01-13

Added

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`riemann-sum` Parameters

`volume-of-revolution` Parameters

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