tikz

TikZ is a graphics package for the TeX family of typesetting systems, commonly used with LaTeX. It serves as a high-level front end to the PGF package, providing a declarative language for creating vector graphics directly within TeX documents. TikZ is designed to produce diagrams, figures, technical illustrations, graphs, and plots with consistent fonts and mathematics.

The language centers on coordinates, paths, and nodes. Drawn elements are built by composing paths and shapes, to which styles such as line width, color, and patterns can be attached. TikZ supports transformations including translation, rotation, and scaling, as well as multi-layered drawings, scopes for local styling, and the use of coordinates arithmetic. Nodes allow placement of text or other content at specific locations, enabling labeled diagrams and complex illustrations.

TikZ includes an extensive set of libraries that extend its capabilities, covering arrows, shapes, patterns, decorations, and computational helpers such as the calc library for coordinate calculations. It also interfaces with PGFPlots for high-quality plots and can work with external tools or workflows, including externalization to compile graphics separately. The system emphasizes modularity and reusability through styles, scopes, and macros.

Used widely in academia and technical publishing, TikZ integrates tightly with LaTeX to ensure consistent typography and math rendering. Its documentation offers numerous examples and tutorials, and the package is maintained as part of the PGF/TikZ distribution, supported by a community of users and developers.