This chapter marks a conceptual dividing line for the book. We've focused on topics such as matplotlib internals and APIs, plot interaction, high-level plotting, and the use of third-party libraries. We will continue in that vein in the first part of this chapter as we discuss advanced customization techniques for matplotlib. We will finish the chapter by discussing the elements of the advanced and lesser-known matplotlib configuration. The configuration theme will continue into the next chapter and then go beyond that into the realm of deployment. As such, this chapter will mark a transition to our exploration of matplotlib in the real world and its usage in computationally intensive tasks.

This chapter will provide an overview of the following, giving you enough confidence to tackle these in more depth at your own pace: