PyCairo backends

PyCairo supports various backends. Backends are places where the graphics produced by PyCairo can be displayed. We will use PyCairo to create a PNG image, a PDF file, a SVG file and we will draw on a GTK window.

PNG image

In the first example, we will create a PNG image.

#!/usr/bin/python

'''
ZetCode PyCairo tutorial 

This program uses PyCairo to 
produce a PNG image.

author: Jan Bodnar
website: zetcode.com 
last edited: August 2012
'''

import cairo
       
    
def main():
    
    ims = cairo.ImageSurface(cairo.FORMAT_ARGB32, 390, 60)
    cr = cairo.Context(ims)
    
    cr.set_source_rgb(0, 0, 0)
    cr.select_font_face("Sans", cairo.FONT_SLANT_NORMAL,
        cairo.FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL)
    cr.set_font_size(40)
    
    cr.move_to(10, 50)
    cr.show_text("Disziplin ist Macht.")

    ims.write_to_png("image.png")
        
        
if __name__ == "__main__":    
    main()

This example is a small console application that will create a PNG image.

import cairo

We import the PyCairo module.

ims = cairo.ImageSurface(cairo.FORMAT_ARGB32, 390, 60)
cr = cairo.Context(ims)

We create a surface and a Cairo context from the surface. The surface is a 390x60px image.

cr.set_source_rgb(0, 0, 0)

We will draw our text in black ink.

cr.select_font_face("Sans", cairo.FONT_SLANT_NORMAL,
    cairo.FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL)
cr.set_font_size(40)

We choose a font type and set its size.

cr.move_to(10, 50)
cr.show_text("Disziplin ist Macht.")

We move to a x=10.0, y=50.0 position within the image and draw the text.

ims.write_to_png("image.png")

This method call creates the PNG image.

Figure: PNG image in Eye of Gnome

PDF file

In the second example, we create a simple PDF file.

#!/usr/bin/python

'''
ZetCode PyCairo tutorial 

This program uses PyCairo to 
produce a PDF image.

author: Jan Bodnar
website: zetcode.com 
last edited: August 2012
'''

import cairo
       
    
def main():
    
    ps = cairo.PDFSurface("pdffile.pdf", 504, 648)
    cr = cairo.Context(ps)
    
    cr.set_source_rgb(0, 0, 0)
    cr.select_font_face("Sans", cairo.FONT_SLANT_NORMAL,
        cairo.FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL)
    cr.set_font_size(40)
    
    cr.move_to(10, 50)
    cr.show_text("Disziplin ist Macht.")
    cr.show_page()
        
        
if __name__ == "__main__":    
    main()

We must open the pdf file in a pdf viewer. Linux users can use KPDF or Evince viewers.

ps = cairo.PDFSurface("pdffile.pdf", 504, 648)

To render a pdf file, we must create a pdf surface using the cairo.PDFSurface object. The size of the pdf file is specified in points, which is a standard in typesetting.

cr.show_page()

The show_page() finishes rendering of the pdf file.

Figure: PDF file in Evince

SVG file

The next example creates a simple SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) file. A SVG file is a XML based file format.

#!/usr/bin/python

'''
ZetCode PyCairo tutorial 

This program uses PyCairo to 
produce a SVG file.

author: Jan Bodnar
website: zetcode.com 
last edited: August 2012
'''

import cairo
       
    
def main():
    
    ps = cairo.SVGSurface("svgfile.svg", 390, 60)
    cr = cairo.Context(ps)
    
    cr.set_source_rgb(0, 0, 0)
    cr.select_font_face("Sans", cairo.FONT_SLANT_NORMAL,
        cairo.FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL)
    cr.set_font_size(40)
    
    cr.move_to(10, 50)
    cr.show_text("Disziplin ist Macht.")
    cr.show_page()
        
        
if __name__ == "__main__":    
    main()

We can use a web browser like Google Chrome or a vector drawing program like Inkscape to open a SVG file.

ps = cairo.SVGSurface("svgfile.svg", 390, 60)

To create a SVG file in PyCairo, we must create a svg surface using the cairo.SVGSurface object.

cr.show_page()

The show_page() method call finisheds rendering of the SVG file.

SVG file in Chrome

GTK Window

In the last example, we will draw on a GTK window. This backend will be used throughout the rest of the tutorial.

#!/usr/bin/python

'''
ZetCode PyCairo tutorial 

This program uses PyCairo to 
draw on a window in GTK.

author: Jan Bodnar
website: zetcode.com 
last edited: August 2012
'''


from gi.repository import Gtk
import cairo


class Example(Gtk.Window):

    def __init__(self):
        super(Example, self).__init__()
        
        self.init_ui()
        
        
    def init_ui(self):    

        darea = Gtk.DrawingArea()
        darea.connect("draw", self.on_draw)
        self.add(darea)

        self.set_title("GTK window")
        self.resize(420, 120)
        self.set_position(Gtk.WindowPosition.CENTER)
        self.connect("delete-event", Gtk.main_quit)
        self.show_all()
        
    
    def on_draw(self, wid, cr):

        cr.set_source_rgb(0, 0, 0)
        cr.select_font_face("Sans", cairo.FONT_SLANT_NORMAL,
            cairo.FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL)
        cr.set_font_size(40)
        
        cr.move_to(10, 50)
        cr.show_text("Disziplin ist Macht.")
        
    
def main():
    
    app = Example()
    Gtk.main()
        
        
if __name__ == "__main__":    
    main()

The example pops up a centered GTK window, on which we draw the "Disziplin ist Macht" text.

from gi.repository import Gtk
import cairo

We import the necessary PyCairo and GTK modules.

darea = Gtk.DrawingArea()

We will be drawing on a Gtk.DrawingArea widget.

darea.connect("draw", self.on_draw)

When the window is redrawn, a draw signal is emitted. We connect that signal to the on_draw() callback.

def on_draw(self, wid, cr):
...

The drawing is done inside the on_draw() method. The third parameter is the cairo context. It is automatically available to us. The Cairo library is built into the GTK system.

Figure: GTK window

In this chapter we have covered supported PyCairo backends.

Manwhocodes

PyCairo backends