• Show current backend

import matplotlib
matplotlib.pyplot.get_backend()
# or
matplotlib.rcParams['backend']

• Setup backend

import matplotlib
matplotlib.use('GTKAgg')

• Show all possible backends

import matplotlib
matplotlib.rcsetup.interactive_bk
matplotlib.rcsetup.non_interactive_bk
matplotlib.rcsetup.all_backends

• When close a figure window, the following information jump out:

/usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/matplotlib/backends/backend_gtk.py:253: Warning: Source ID 70 was not found when attempting to remove it
  gobject.source_remove(self._idle_event_id)

The solution is to modify /usr/lib/python2.7/dist-packages/matplotlib/backend_bases.py by adding “return True” to the end of function “def idle_event(self, guiEvent=None):”. Ref

• When want to modify the font types of labels,titles…Ref

csfont = {'fontname':'Comic Sans MS'}
hfont = {'fontname':'Helvetica'}

plt.title('title',**csfont)
plt.xlabel('xlabel', **hfont)
plt.show()