# Transparency parameter in plot function doesn't do anything

**URL:** <https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/transparency-parameter-in-plot-function-doesnt-do-anything/4748>\
**Category:** PyGMT Q&A\
**Tags:** gmt, color\
**Created:** [March 26, 2024, 10:20am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/transparency-parameter-in-plot-function-doesnt-do-anything/4748 "2024-03-26T10:20:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Guy](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Guy)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2024, 10:20am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/transparency-parameter-in-plot-function-doesnt-do-anything/4748/1 "2024-03-26T10:20:59Z")

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Hi, i’m using the example from the following [link](https://www.pygmt.org/v0.11.0/gallery/symbols/scatter.html#sphx-glr-gallery-symbols-scatter-py) to plot transparent data points. But when I do this, I get points without transparency. I have the most updated version of PyGMT (v0.11.0) and of Ghostscript (10.03.0). Any idea how to fix this?

 ![Screenshot 2024-03-26 at 12.15.56](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/uploads/gmt/original/2X/f/fd2ffc8fd9f53ae2489eff0f2845d9f5ecdca8af.png)

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**Author:** ![yvonnefroehlich](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/yvonnefroehlich/32/5064_2.png) [@yvonnefroehlich](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/yvonnefroehlich)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2024, 10:53am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/transparency-parameter-in-plot-function-doesnt-do-anything/4748/2 "2024-03-26T10:53:20Z")

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Hello @Guy,

welcome to the GMT forum 🙂.

Thanks for your report! Can you please state your GMT version?

It is known that there are issues with transparency in GMT 6.4.0 for ghostscript up on version 10.02.0 and people have to use lower gs versions. For correctly working transparency when using gs versions 10.02.0 - 10.03.0 you need to install GMT 6.5.0.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Guy](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Guy)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2024, 11:06am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/transparency-parameter-in-plot-function-doesnt-do-anything/4748/3 "2024-03-26T11:06:44Z")

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Thank you!  
yes, my GMT version is 6.5.0…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Esteban82](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/esteban82/32/54_2.png) [@Esteban82](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Esteban82)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2024, 11:38am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/transparency-parameter-in-plot-function-doesnt-do-anything/4748/4 "2024-03-26T11:38:21Z")

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> [@Guy](#):
>
> But when I do this,

Hi Guy! What do you mean with this? Could you share the commands that are you using?

PS: Is the exact same script of the link?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Guy](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Guy)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2024, 12:04pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/transparency-parameter-in-plot-function-doesnt-do-anything/4748/5 "2024-03-26T12:04:00Z")

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Yes, I’ve simply copy pasted the example in the PyGMT link.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![yvonnefroehlich](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex047/user_avatar/forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/yvonnefroehlich/32/5064_2.png) [@yvonnefroehlich](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/yvonnefroehlich)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2024, 12:06pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/transparency-parameter-in-plot-function-doesnt-do-anything/4748/6 "2024-03-26T12:06:09Z")

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I am wondering whether your system finds an old GMT version. Can you please post the complete output of `python -c "import pygmt; pygmt.show_versions()"`.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Guy](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/Guy)\
**Post date:** [March 26, 2024, 12:10pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/transparency-parameter-in-plot-function-doesnt-do-anything/4748/7 "2024-03-26T12:10:12Z")

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ohhhh you are so right!  
‘’’

> PyGMT information:  
> version: v0.11.0  
> System information:  
> python: 3.12.0 | packaged by conda-forge | (main, Oct 3 2023, 08:36:57) [Clang 15.0.7]  
> executable: /Users/path/to/anaconda3/envs/pygmt/bin/python3.12  
> machine: macOS-14.4-arm64-arm-64bit  
> Dependency information:  
> numpy: 1.26.4  
> pandas: 2.1.3  
> xarray: 2023.10.1  
> netCDF4: 1.6.5  
> packaging: 23.2  
> contextily: 1.4.0  
> geopandas: 0.14.1  
> ipython: None  
> rioxarray: 0.15.0  
> ghostscript: 10.03.0  
> GMT library information:  
> binary version: 6.4.0  
> cores: 10  
> grid layout: rows  
> image layout:  
> library path: /Users/path/to/anaconda3/envs/pygmt/lib/libgmt.dylib  
> padding: 2  
> plugin dir: /Users/path/to/anaconda3/envs/pygmt/lib/gmt/plugins  
> share dir: /Users/path/to/anaconda3/envs/pygmt/share/gmt  
> version: 6.4.0

‘’’

I’ve update GMT to 6.5 and it works!  
Thanks a lot!