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Cannot render Apple Color Emoji in plots #12830
Description
Bug report
In both Jupyter Notebook and Terminal, I cannot display emojis using the Apple Color Emoji font.
If I attempt to set fontname='Apple Color Emoji' matplotlib won't find the font, and falls back to the default font DejaVu Sans, which renders the image below.
If I try to load the font using font_manager.FontProperties, it throws an error: RuntimeError: In FT2Font: Could not set the fontsize.
Code for reproduction
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from matplotlib.font_manager import FontProperties
import numpy as np
prop = FontProperties(fname='/System/Library/Fonts/Apple Color Emoji.ttc')
freqs = [301, 96, 53, 81, 42]
labels = ['😊', '😱', '😂', '😄', '😛']
plt.figure(figsize=(12,8))
p1 = plt.bar(np.arange(len(labels)), freqs, 0.8, color="lightblue")
new_ylim = plt.ylim()[1]+30
plt.ylim(0, new_ylim)
# Make labels
for rect1, label in zip(p1, labels):
height = rect1.get_height()
plt.annotate(
label,
(rect1.get_x() + rect1.get_width()/2, height+5),
ha="center",
va="bottom",
#fontsize='30',
#fontname='Apple Color Emoji'
fontproperties = prop
)
plt.show()Matplotlib version
- Operating system: MacOS Sierra 10.12.6
- Matplotlib version: 2.2.3
- Matplotlib backend: MacOSX and module://ipykernel.pylab.backend_inline
- Python version: Python 3.7.0
- Jupyter version (if applicable): 5.6.0
Reacted by Samuel Ainsworth and Toma
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ImportanceOfBeingErnest commentedon Nov 18, 2018
Similar problem: #4492
It seems this somehow worked by coincidence. But as commented on the SO post already, one would start by using the codes that are reported to work in #4492 and see where the difference is.
anntzer commentedon Nov 18, 2018
Actually that's a limitation of FT2Font.
I couldn't get my hands on Apple Color Emoji.ttc, but at least with Apple Color Emoji.ttf, things work if you use the mplcairo backend (https://github.com/anntzer/mplcairo), and I have no reason to believe that the ttc version would be different.
(The fact that setting the fontname instead of the path doesn't work for ttc files "should" be fixed by #9787, which "just" waits for a second review...)
brienna commentedon Nov 18, 2018
According to #3135, ttc font support is limited as well. It would be nice if we have #9787...
@anntzer, I can't seem to build the wheels with mplcairo, using OS X.
anntzer commentedon Nov 18, 2018
There are some instructions at https://github.com/anntzer/mplcairo#building. Can you let me know what specific issues you are having with the build?
brienna commentedon Nov 19, 2018
When running
clang build-osx-wheel.sh:anntzer commentedon Nov 19, 2018
You don't want to run
clang build-osx-wheel.sh, but just./build-osx-wheel.sh(or evenpython setup.py bdist_wheelshould be good enough (modulo dependencies) given that you just want to use the wheel locally).brienna commentedon Nov 19, 2018
Thanks! The installation got a bit further this time, but ends with
I had installed clang via homebrew llvm as instructed in the Build section.
anntzer commentedon Nov 19, 2018
Well, that's what the error message says: your version of clang is too old. You can install a more recent version with homebrew or conda, then make sure it is active.
brienna commentedon Nov 19, 2018
Two things were important: To git clone the repo instead of downloading it, and to make sure that llvm's compiler variables were set correctly before installing:
I moved build > lib.macosx-10.9-x86_64-3.7 > mplcairo to my repo where I had my code, and in Jupyter Notebook added:
Τhen I ran my code again and got
So much better! But monochrome? 😩😤 And other colors are off too.
anntzer commentedon Nov 19, 2018
Not sure what's happening with monochrome but...
pip install /path/to/mplcairo-etc-etc.whl.MPLCAIRO_PATCH_AGGenvironment variable to 1 before starting the jupyter server (e.g.MPLCAIRO_PATCH_AGG=1 jupyter notebook), as documented in https://github.com/anntzer/mplcairo#use.Also, can you check your version of
cairo? (mplcairo._mplcairo.__cairo_version__) It needs to be at least 1.15.8 for color emoji support (https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=Cairo-1.15.8-Colored-Emoji). And let's also get the freetype version (mplcairo._mplcairo.__freetype_version__) while we're at it.brienna commentedon Nov 19, 2018
Installed the wheel so I can import mplcairo systemwide.
Ran a standalone script outside the notebook by importing mplcairo (owing to your
MPLCAIRO_PATCH_AGGand MacOSX backend incompatibility notes), as well as running in Jupyter usingMPLCAIRO_PATCH_AGG=1 jupyter notebook. Both approaches yield the same monochromatic emojis.I'm using cairo 1.18.0.
anntzer commentedon Nov 19, 2018
That's the pycairo version (I know, it's confusing :/).
The cairo version is accessible as
import mplcairo._mplcairo; print(mplcairo._mplcairo.__cairo_version__); can you check that, and the freetype version too (as above)?Also, perhaps try some other color emoji font, e.g. Noto Color Emoji (https://github.com/googlei18n/noto-emoji/tree/master/fonts)?
Still not sure why it's failing for you...
36 remaining items
anntzer commentedon Nov 8, 2024
Still a valid request.
QuLogic commentedon Feb 27, 2025
I'm going to try and see if I can get this in with the font shaping work.
anntzer commentedon Feb 27, 2025
@QuLogic I saw you mentioned in this week's meeting notes that raqm is working "except font fallback". This is very exciting :-)
Regarding font fallback, it looks like the "proper" approach (as described by the author of raqm...) is the one described at https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/520034/fallback-for-harfbuzz-fonts#comment1315285_520048, which I have tried to implement for mplcairo (raqm's API should be enough to implement it, by relying on raqm_set_freetype_face_range) but is actually a bit tedious to do...
QuLogic commentedon Feb 27, 2025
Yep, that is in fact what I'm following (I think you had the link in mplcairo), but running into some issues with it not actually doing it. I think there may be some cache interfering, so I'm going to try to layout from scratch for every fallback, but that is as you say a bit tedious.
QuLogic commentedon Jun 12, 2025
With the FT2Image removal and FreeType 2.13, I am able to render some colour emoji:
This is only COLRv0, and I believe some modern fonts are using SVG instead. I also discovered some bugs in the FreeType API we're using, so there may need to be some additional workarounds/patches in place. That will require a bit more work, but will probably happen after all the other stuff is merged.
anntzer commentedon Jun 12, 2025
I'd be curious to hear about the bugs (even if very summarily). Also, support for SVG fonts looks awkward as freetype requires you to bring your own SVG(-subset) renderer; from a quick look I just realized that cairo, for example, implements its own. Do you have a plan here?