matplotlib · QuLogic · Mar 20, 2026 · Mar 11, 2026 · Mar 12, 2026 · Mar 12, 2026
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/_mathtext.py b/lib/matplotlib/_mathtext.py
@@ -445,11 +445,15 @@ def get_quad(self, fontname: str, fontsize: float, dpi: float) -> float:
             return metrics.advance
 
     def get_xheight(self, fontname: str, fontsize: float, dpi: float) -> float:
-        # Some fonts report the wrong x-height, while some don't store it, so
-        # we do a poor man's x-height.
-        metrics = self.get_metrics(
-            fontname, mpl.rcParams['mathtext.default'], 'x', fontsize, dpi)
-        return metrics.iceberg
+        consts = self.get_font_constants()
+        if consts.x_height is not None:
+            return consts.x_height * fontsize * dpi / 72
+        else:
+            # Some fonts report the wrong x-height, while some don't store it, so
+            # we do a poor man's x-height.
+            metrics = self.get_metrics(
+                fontname, mpl.rcParams['mathtext.default'], 'x', fontsize, dpi)
+            return metrics.iceberg
 
     def get_underline_thickness(self, font: str, fontsize: float, dpi: float) -> float:
         # This function used to grab underline thickness from the font
@@ -1006,6 +1010,10 @@ class FontConstantsBase:
     # The size of a quad space in LaTeX, as a multiple of design size.
     quad: T.ClassVar[float | None] = None
 
+    # The size of x-height in font design units (i.e., divided by units-per-em). If not
+    # provided, then this will be measured from the font itself.
+    x_height: T.ClassVar[float | None] = None
+
 
 class ComputerModernFontConstants(FontConstantsBase):
     # Previously, the x-height of Computer Modern was obtained from the font
@@ -1034,17 +1042,19 @@ class ComputerModernFontConstants(FontConstantsBase):
     # size.
     axis_height = 262144 / 2**20
     quad = 1048579 / 2**20
+    x_height = _x_height / 2**20
 
 
 class STIXFontConstants(FontConstantsBase):
     script_space = 0.1
     delta = 0.05
     delta_slanted = 0.3
     delta_integral = 0.3
+    _x_height = 450
+    x_height = _x_height / 1000
     # These values are extracted from the TeX table of STIXGeneral.ttf using FontForge,
     # and then divided by design xheight, since we multiply these values by the scaled
     # xheight later.
-    _x_height = 450
     supdrop = 386 / _x_height
     subdrop = 50.0002 / _x_height
     sup1 = 413 / _x_height
@@ -1068,10 +1078,11 @@ class STIXSansFontConstants(STIXFontConstants):
 
 
 class DejaVuSerifFontConstants(FontConstantsBase):
+    _x_height = 1063
+    x_height = _x_height / 2048
     # These values are extracted from the TeX table of DejaVuSerif.ttf using FontForge,
     # and then divided by design xheight, since we multiply these values by the scaled
     # xheight later.
-    _x_height = 1063
     supdrop = 790.527 / _x_height
     subdrop = 102.4 / _x_height
     sup1 = 845.824 / _x_height
@@ -1088,10 +1099,11 @@ class DejaVuSerifFontConstants(FontConstantsBase):
 
 
 class DejaVuSansFontConstants(FontConstantsBase):
+    _x_height = 1120
+    x_height = _x_height / 2048
     # These values are extracted from the TeX table of DejaVuSans.ttf using FontForge,
     # and then divided by design xheight, since we multiply these values by the scaled
     # xheight later.
-    _x_height = 1120
     supdrop = 790.527 / _x_height
     subdrop = 102.4 / _x_height
     sup1 = 845.824 / _x_height

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/testing/conftest.py b/lib/matplotlib/testing/conftest.py
@@ -149,6 +149,15 @@ def text_placeholders(monkeypatch):
     """
     from matplotlib.patches import Rectangle
 
+    def patched_get_sfnt_table(font, name):
+        """
+        Replace ``FT2Font.get_sfnt_table`` with empty results.
+
+        This forces ``Text._get_layout`` to fall back to
+        ``get_text_width_height_descent``, which produces results from the patch below.
+        """
+        return None
+
     def patched_get_text_metrics_with_cache(renderer, text, fontprop, ismath, dpi):
         """
         Replace ``_get_text_metrics_with_cache`` with fixed results.
@@ -183,6 +192,8 @@ def patched_text_draw(self, renderer):
                          facecolor=self.get_color(), edgecolor='none')
         rect.draw(renderer)
 
+    monkeypatch.setattr('matplotlib.ft2font.FT2Font.get_sfnt_table',
+                        patched_get_sfnt_table)
     monkeypatch.setattr('matplotlib.text._get_text_metrics_with_cache',
                         patched_get_text_metrics_with_cache)
     monkeypatch.setattr('matplotlib.text.Text.draw', patched_text_draw)
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_axes.py
@@ -7753,7 +7753,7 @@ def test_titletwiny():
     bbox_y0_title = title.get_window_extent(renderer).y0  # bottom of title
     bbox_y1_xlabel2 = xlabel2.get_window_extent(renderer).y1  # top of xlabel2
     y_diff = bbox_y0_title - bbox_y1_xlabel2
-    assert np.isclose(y_diff, 3)
+    assert y_diff >= 3
 
 
 def test_titlesetpos():
@@ -8525,8 +8525,8 @@ def test_normal_axes():
 
     # test the axis bboxes
     target = [
-        [124.0, 76.89, 982.0, 32.0],
-        [86.89, 100.5, 52.0, 992.0],
+        [124.0, 75.56, 982.0, 33.33],
+        [86.89, 99.33, 52.0, 993.33],
     ]
     for nn, b in enumerate(bbaxis):
         targetbb = mtransforms.Bbox.from_bounds(*target[nn])
@@ -8546,7 +8546,7 @@ def test_normal_axes():
     targetbb = mtransforms.Bbox.from_bounds(*target)
     assert_array_almost_equal(bbax.bounds, targetbb.bounds, decimal=2)
 
-    target = [86.89, 76.89, 1019.11, 1015.61]
+    target = [86.89, 75.56, 1019.11, 1017.11]
     targetbb = mtransforms.Bbox.from_bounds(*target)
     assert_array_almost_equal(bbtb.bounds, targetbb.bounds, decimal=2)
 

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_legend.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_legend.py
@@ -481,27 +481,27 @@ def test_figure_legend_outside():
     todos += ['left ' + pos for pos in ['lower', 'center', 'upper']]
     todos += ['right ' + pos for pos in ['lower', 'center', 'upper']]
 
-    upperext = [20.722556, 26.722556, 790.333, 545.999]
-    lowerext = [20.722556, 70.056556, 790.333, 589.333]
-    leftext = [152.056556, 26.722556, 790.333, 589.333]
-    rightext = [20.722556, 26.722556, 658.999, 589.333]
+    upperext = [20.722556, 26.389222, 790.333, 545.16762]
+    lowerext = [20.722556, 70.723222, 790.333, 589.50162]
+    leftext = [152.056556, 26.389222, 790.333, 589.50162]
+    rightext = [20.722556, 26.389222, 658.999, 589.50162]
     axbb = [upperext, upperext, upperext,
             lowerext, lowerext, lowerext,
             leftext, leftext, leftext,
             rightext, rightext, rightext]
 
-    legbb = [[10., 555., 133., 590.],     # upper left
-             [338.5, 555., 461.5, 590.],  # upper center
-             [667, 555., 790.,  590.],    # upper right
-             [10., 10., 133.,  45.],      # lower left
-             [338.5, 10., 461.5,  45.],   # lower center
-             [667., 10., 790.,  45.],     # lower right
-             [10., 10., 133., 45.],       # left lower
-             [10., 282.5, 133., 317.5],   # left center
-             [10., 555., 133., 590.],     # left upper
-             [667, 10., 790., 45.],       # right lower
-             [667., 282.5, 790., 317.5],  # right center
-             [667., 555., 790., 590.]]    # right upper
+    legbb = [[10., 554., 133., 590.],     # upper left
+             [338.5, 554., 461.5, 590.],  # upper center
+             [667, 554., 790.,  590.],    # upper right
+             [10., 10., 133.,  46.],      # lower left
+             [338.5, 10., 461.5,  46.],   # lower center
+             [667., 10., 790.,  46.],     # lower right
+             [10., 10., 133., 46.],       # left lower
+             [10., 282., 133., 318.],     # left center
+             [10., 554., 133., 590.],     # left upper
+             [667, 10., 790., 46.],       # right lower
+             [667., 282., 790., 318.],    # right center
+             [667., 554., 790., 590.]]    # right upper
 
     for nn, todo in enumerate(todos):
         print(todo)

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_polar.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_polar.py
@@ -332,7 +332,7 @@ def test_get_tightbbox_polar():
     fig.canvas.draw()
     bb = ax.get_tightbbox(fig.canvas.get_renderer())
     assert_allclose(
-        bb.extents, [108.27778, 28.7778, 539.7222, 451.2222], rtol=1e-03)
+        bb.extents, [108.27778, 29.1111, 539.7222, 450.8889], rtol=1e-03)
 
 
 @check_figures_equal()

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_text.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_text.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 from matplotlib.backend_bases import MouseEvent
 from matplotlib.backends.backend_agg import RendererAgg
 from matplotlib.figure import Figure
-from matplotlib.font_manager import FontProperties
+from matplotlib.font_manager import FontProperties, fontManager, get_font
 import matplotlib.patches as mpatches
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 from matplotlib.gridspec import GridSpec
@@ -1061,8 +1061,16 @@ def test_text_annotation_get_window_extent():
 
     _, _, d = renderer.get_text_width_height_descent(
         'text', annotation._fontproperties, ismath=False)
-    _, _, lp_d = renderer.get_text_width_height_descent(
-        'lp', annotation._fontproperties, ismath=False)
+    font = get_font(fontManager._find_fonts_by_props(annotation._fontproperties))
+    for name, key in [('OS/2', 'sTypoDescender'), ('hhea', 'descent')]:
+        if (table := font.get_sfnt_table(name)) is not None:
+            units_per_em = font.get_sfnt_table('head')['unitsPerEm']
+            fontsize = annotation._fontproperties.get_size_in_points()
+            lp_d = -table[key] / units_per_em * fontsize * figure.dpi / 72
+            break
+    else:
+        _, _, lp_d = renderer.get_text_width_height_descent(
+            'lp', annotation._fontproperties, ismath=False)
     below_line = max(d, lp_d)
 
     # These numbers are specific to the current implementation of Text
@@ -1101,7 +1109,7 @@ def test_text_with_arrow_annotation_get_window_extent():
     assert bbox.width == text_bbox.width + 50.0
     # make sure the annotation text bounding box is same size
     # as the bounding box of the same string as a Text object
-    assert ann_txt_bbox.height == text_bbox.height
+    assert_almost_equal(ann_txt_bbox.height, text_bbox.height)
     assert ann_txt_bbox.width == text_bbox.width
     # compute the expected bounding box of arrow + text
     expected_bbox = mtransforms.Bbox.union([ann_txt_bbox, arrow_bbox])

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/text.py b/lib/matplotlib/text.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 import matplotlib as mpl
 from . import _api, artist, cbook, _docstring, colors as mcolors
 from .artist import Artist
-from .font_manager import FontProperties
+from .font_manager import FontProperties, fontManager, get_font
 from .patches import FancyArrowPatch, FancyBboxPatch, Rectangle
 from .textpath import TextPath, TextToPath  # noqa # Logically located here
 from .transforms import (
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ def _reset_visual_defaults(
         self._bbox_patch = None  # a FancyBboxPatch instance
         self._renderer = None
         if linespacing is None:
-            linespacing = 1.2  # Maybe use rcParam later.
+            linespacing = 'normal'  # Maybe use rcParam later.
         self.set_linespacing(linespacing)
         self.set_rotation_mode(rotation_mode)
         self.set_antialiased(mpl._val_or_rc(antialiased, 'text.antialiased'))
@@ -433,15 +433,40 @@ def _get_layout(self, renderer):
         xs = []
         ys = []
 
-        # Full vertical extent of font, including ascenders and descenders:
-        _, lp_h, lp_d = _get_text_metrics_with_cache(
-            renderer, "lp", self._fontproperties,
-            ismath="TeX" if self.get_usetex() else False,
-            dpi=self.get_figure(root=True).dpi)
-        lp_a = lp_h - lp_d
-        min_dy = lp_a * self._linespacing
-
-        for i, line in enumerate(lines):
+        min_ascent = min_descent = line_gap = None
+        dpi = self.get_figure(root=True).dpi
+        # Determine full vertical extent of font, including ascenders and descenders:
+        if not self.get_usetex():
+            font = get_font(fontManager._find_fonts_by_props(self._fontproperties))
+            possible_metrics = [
+                ('OS/2', 'sTypoLineGap', 'sTypoAscender', 'sTypoDescender'),
+                ('hhea', 'lineGap', 'ascent', 'descent')
+            ]
+            for table_name, linegap_key, ascent_key, descent_key in possible_metrics:
+                table = font.get_sfnt_table(table_name)
+                if table is None:
+                    continue
+                # Rescale to font size/DPI if the metrics were available.
+                fontsize = self._fontproperties.get_size_in_points()
+                units_per_em = font.get_sfnt_table('head')['unitsPerEm']
+                line_gap = table[linegap_key] / units_per_em * fontsize * dpi / 72
+                min_ascent = table[ascent_key] / units_per_em * fontsize * dpi / 72
+                min_descent = -table[descent_key] / units_per_em * fontsize * dpi / 72
+                break
+        if None in (min_ascent, min_descent):
+            # Fallback to font measurement.
+            _, h, min_descent = _get_text_metrics_with_cache(
+                renderer, "lp", self._fontproperties,
+                ismath="TeX" if self.get_usetex() else False,
+                dpi=dpi)
+            min_ascent = h - min_descent
+            line_gap = 0
+
+        # Don't increase text height too much if it's not multiple lines.
+        if len(lines) == 1:
+            line_gap = 0
+
+        for line in lines:
             clean_line, ismath = self._preprocess_math(line)
             if clean_line:
                 w, h, d = _get_text_metrics_with_cache(
@@ -451,18 +476,24 @@ def _get_layout(self, renderer):
                 w = h = d = 0
 
             a = h - d
-            # To ensure good linespacing, pretend that the ascent (resp.
-            # descent) of all lines is at least as large as "l" (resp. "p").
-            a = max(a, lp_a)
-            d = max(d, lp_d)
+
+            if self.get_usetex() or self._linespacing == 'normal':
+                # To ensure good linespacing, pretend that the ascent / descent of all
+                # lines is at least as large as the measured sizes.
+                a = max(a, min_ascent) + line_gap / 2
+                d = max(d, min_descent) + line_gap / 2
+            else:
+                # If using a fixed line spacing, then every line's spacing will be
+                # determined by the font metrics of the first available font.
+                line_height = self._linespacing * (min_ascent + min_descent)
+                leading = line_height - (a + d)
+                a += leading / 2
+                d += leading / 2
 
             # Metrics of the last line that are needed later:
             baseline = a - thisy
 
-            if i == 0:  # position at baseline
-                thisy = -a
-            else:  # put baseline a good distance from bottom of previous line
-                thisy -= max(min_dy, a * self._linespacing)
+            thisy -= a
 
             wads.append((w, a, d))
             xs.append(thisx)  # == 0.
@@ -1122,18 +1153,26 @@ def set_multialignment(self, align):
 
     def set_linespacing(self, spacing):
         """
-        Set the line spacing as a multiple of the font size.
-
-        The default line spacing is 1.2.
+        Set the line spacing.
 
         Parameters
         ----------
-        spacing : float (multiple of font size)
+        spacing : 'normal' or float, default: 'normal'
+            If 'normal', then the line spacing is automatically determined by font
+            metrics for each line individually.
+
+            If a float, then line spacing will be fixed to this multiple of the font
+            size for every line.
         """
-        _api.check_isinstance(Real, spacing=spacing)
+        if not cbook._str_equal(spacing, 'normal'):
+            _api.check_isinstance(Real, spacing=spacing)
         self._linespacing = spacing
         self.stale = True
 
+    def get_linespacing(self):
+        """Get the line spacing."""
+        return self._linespacing
+
     def set_fontfamily(self, fontname):
         """
         Set the font family.  Can be either a single string, or a list of

diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/text.pyi b/lib/matplotlib/text.pyi
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ class Text(Artist):
         multialignment: Literal["left", "center", "right"] | None = ...,
         fontproperties: str | Path | FontProperties | None = ...,
         rotation: float | Literal["vertical", "horizontal"] | None = ...,
-        linespacing: float | None = ...,
+        linespacing: Literal["normal"] | float | None = ...,
         rotation_mode: Literal["default", "anchor"] | None = ...,
         usetex: bool | None = ...,
         wrap: bool = ...,
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ class Text(Artist):
         self, align: Literal["left", "center", "right"]
     ) -> None: ...
     def set_multialignment(self, align: Literal["left", "center", "right"]) -> None: ...
-    def set_linespacing(self, spacing: float) -> None: ...
+    def set_linespacing(self, spacing: Literal["normal"] | float) -> None: ...
+    def get_linespacing(self) -> Literal["normal"] | float: ...
     def set_fontfamily(self, fontname: str | Iterable[str]) -> None: ...
     def set_fontfeatures(self, features: Sequence[str] | None) -> None: ...
     def set_fontvariant(self, variant: Literal["normal", "small-caps"]) -> None: ...