Style Title, Subtitle, and Footnotes in Matplotlib

TL;DR

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
y = np.sin(x)
fig, ax = plt.subplots()
ax.plot(x, y)
ax.set_title('Sine Wave', fontsize=16, fontweight='bold', color='darkslategray')
fig.suptitle('Styled title, subtitle, footnote', fontsize=12, color='gray')
fig.text(0.99, 0.01, 'Source: generated data', ha='right', va='bottom', fontsize=9, color='dimgray')
plt.show()

Why style titles?

A clear, well‑styled title tells viewers what the plot is about. A subtitle can add context, and a footnote can cite data sources or notes.

Adding a main title

Use ax.set_title() to control the text, size, weight, and colour of the main title.

ax.set_title(
    'Sine Wave',
    fontsize=16,
    fontweight='bold',
    color='darkslategray'
)

Adding a subtitle

Matplotlib does not have a dedicated subtitle API, but fig.suptitle() works well for a secondary line. Position it at the top of the figure and style it separately.

fig.suptitle(
    'Styled title, subtitle, footnote',
    fontsize=12,
    color='gray'
)

Adding a footnote

Place a footnote in the bottom‑right corner with fig.text(). Adjust the alignment and colour to keep it subtle.

fig.text(
    0.99, 0.01,
    'Source: generated data',
    ha='right', va='bottom',
    fontsize=9,
    color='dimgray'
)

Putting it together – a polished example

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import numpy as np

x = np.linspace(0, 10, 100)
y = np.sin(x)

fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(8, 5))
ax.plot(x, y, color='tab:blue')

# Main title
ax.set_title('Styled Sine Wave', fontsize=18, fontweight='semibold', color='#2E4053')
# Subtitle
fig.suptitle('Using rcParams for consistent styling', fontsize=14, color='#566573')
# Footnote
fig.text(0.99, 0.01, 'Generated on 2026‑08‑10', ha='right', va='bottom', fontsize=10, color='#839192')

plt.tight_layout(rect=[0, 0.03, 1, 0.95])
plt.savefig('images/matplotlib-title-styles-styled.png', dpi=150)
plt.show()

Result

Basic styled title, subtitle, footnote

Advanced styled title, subtitle, footnote

TL;DR recap

ax.set_title() — main title (size, weight, colour).
fig.suptitle() — subtitle (independent styling).
fig.text() — footnote at any figure coordinate.
Use plt.tight_layout() and rect to avoid clipping.

Happy plotting!

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