Matplotlib fill & fill_between Example

This article will tell you how to use the Matplotlib fill() method to fill the Matplotlib curve colors and how to use the fill_between() method to fill the colors between 2 Matplotlib curves.

1. Matplotlib fill() Method Example.

1. The fill(x, y, color) method needs at least 3 parameters to fill the curve color.
2. x: the x-axis values array.
3. y: the y-axis values array.
4. color: the curve-filled color string such as ‘r’ means red color.
5. You can refer to the matplotlib.pyplot.fill to get the complete parameters list.
6. Below is the example source code.

   import numpy as np
   import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
   
   def fill_example():
       
       # set the curve title.
       plt.title('matplotlib fill method example')
       
       # create an array, starts with 0, ends with 10*np.pi, create 1000 elements in the array.
       x_array = np.linspace(0, 10*np.pi, 100)
       
       print('x_array: ', x_array)
       
       print('len(x_array): ', len(x_array))
       
       # calculate the  y array values.
       y_array = np.sin(x_array)
       print('y_array: ', y_array)
       
       # plot the  curve.
       plt.plot(x_array, y_array)
       
       # fill the curve with red color.
       plt.fill(x_array, y_array, 'r')
   
       plt.show()   
       
       
   
   if __name__ == '__main__':
       
       fill_example()

7. Below is the above source code generated figure.
   

2. Matplotlib fill_between() Method Example.

1. The fill_between(x, y1, y2, where, interpolate, step) method needs at least 6 parameters to fill color between 2 Matplotlib curves.
2. x: the x-axis values array.
3. y1: the first curve’s y-axis values array.
4. y2: the second curve’s y-axis values array.
5. where: the filled area that matches this condition.
6. You can get the complete parameter introduction from the matplotlib.pyplot.fill_between official document.
7. Below is the example source code.

   import numpy as np
   import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
   
   def fill_between_example():
       # set the curve title.
       plt.title('matplotlib fill_between method example')
       
       # create x axis value array, starts from 0, ends with 5*np.pi, total generate 1000 array elements.
       x_array = np.linspace(0,5*np.pi,1000)
   
       # calculate the first y axis value array.
       y_array1 = np.sin(x_array)
   
       # calculate the second y axis value array.
       y_array2 = np.sin(2 * x_array)
   
       # plot the first curve.
       plt.plot(x_array, y_array1)
   
       # plot the second curve.
       plt.plot(x_array, y_array2)
       
       # fill the color between the area where y_array1's value less than y_array2's value.
       plt.fill_between(x_array, y_array1, y_array2, where=y_array1<y_array2, interpolate=True)
   
       plt.show()        
   
   if __name__ == '__main__':
           
       fill_between_example()

8. When you run the above example source code, it will show the below figure.