Decorations

TikZ decorations transform the appearance of paths: a straight line can become a zigzag, a snake wave, a coil spring, or a brace bracket. This tutorial covers the decorations available through tikzfigure’s decoration parameter:

• "zigzag", "snake", "coil", "bumps" — path morphing decorations
• side-by-side gallery of all morphing decorations
• "brace" — bracket annotations (requires a second library)
• combining decorations with colors and line widths

Important: You must always pass options=["decorate"] alongside decoration= to actually activate the decoration. The decoration= kwarg sets which decoration to use; decorate is the flag that switches it on.

All morphing decoration examples require document_setup=r"\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}". The brace decoration additionally requires \usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathreplacing}.

from tikzfigure import TikzFigure

decoration="zigzag"

A zigzag path oscillates sharply between two extremes along the path direction.

fig = TikzFigure(document_setup=r"\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}")

fig.draw(
    [(0, 0), (6, 0)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="zigzag",
    line_width=2,
    color="red",
)

fig.show()

Show Tikz code

Tikz Code

print(fig)

% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=red, line width=2, decoration=zigzag] (0, 0) to (6, 0);
\end{tikzpicture}

Standalone LaTeX Document

print(fig.generate_standalone())

\documentclass[border=10pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=newest}
\usepgfplotslibrary{groupplots}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta}
% Custom document setup
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}
\begin{document}
% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=red, line width=2, decoration=zigzag] (0, 0) to (6, 0);
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

decoration="snake"

A snake decoration produces a smooth sinusoidal wave — like a zigzag but with rounded peaks.

fig = TikzFigure(document_setup=r"\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}")

fig.draw(
    [(0, 0), (6, 0)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="snake",
    line_width=2,
    color="blue",
)

fig.show()

Show Tikz code

Tikz Code

print(fig)

% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=blue, line width=2, decoration=snake] (0, 0) to (6, 0);
\end{tikzpicture}

Standalone LaTeX Document

print(fig.generate_standalone())

\documentclass[border=10pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=newest}
\usepgfplotslibrary{groupplots}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta}
% Custom document setup
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}
\begin{document}
% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=blue, line width=2, decoration=snake] (0, 0) to (6, 0);
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

decoration="coil"

A coil decoration draws a helical spring along the path. It works well for physics diagrams.

fig = TikzFigure(document_setup=r"\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}")

fig.draw(
    [(0, 0), (6, 0)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="coil",
    line_width=1.5,
    color="teal",
)

fig.show()

Show Tikz code

Tikz Code

print(fig)

% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=teal, line width=1.5, decoration=coil] (0, 0) to (6, 0);
\end{tikzpicture}

Standalone LaTeX Document

print(fig.generate_standalone())

\documentclass[border=10pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=newest}
\usepgfplotslibrary{groupplots}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta}
% Custom document setup
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}
\begin{document}
% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=teal, line width=1.5, decoration=coil] (0, 0) to (6, 0);
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

decoration="bumps"

Bumps produce smooth humps along the path — similar to a snake but with the oscillation only on one side.

fig = TikzFigure(document_setup=r"\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}")

fig.draw(
    [(0, 0), (6, 0)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="bumps",
    line_width=2,
    color="orange",
)

fig.show()

Show Tikz code

Tikz Code

print(fig)

% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=orange, line width=2, decoration=bumps] (0, 0) to (6, 0);
\end{tikzpicture}

Standalone LaTeX Document

print(fig.generate_standalone())

\documentclass[border=10pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=newest}
\usepgfplotslibrary{groupplots}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta}
% Custom document setup
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}
\begin{document}
% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=orange, line width=2, decoration=bumps] (0, 0) to (6, 0);
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

Side-by-side gallery of morphing decorations

Showing all four morphing decorations together, each with a label, makes it easy to choose the right one for your diagram.

fig = TikzFigure(document_setup=r"\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}")

decorations = [
    ("zigzag", "red"),
    ("snake", "blue"),
    ("coil", "teal"),
    ("bumps", "orange"),
]

for i, (dec, color) in enumerate(decorations):
    y = -i * 1.4
    fig.draw(
        [(0, y), (5, y)],
        options=["decorate"],
        decoration=dec,
        line_width=2,
        color=color,
    )
    fig.add_node(
        5.3,
        y,
        content=f"\\texttt{{{dec}}}",
        draw="none",
        anchor="west",
        font=r"\small",
    )

fig.show()

Show Tikz code

Tikz Code

print(fig)

% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=red, line width=2, decoration=zigzag] (0, 0.0) to (5, 0.0);
    \node[draw=none, font=\small, anchor=west] (node0) at ({5.3}, {0.0}) {\texttt{zigzag}};
    \draw[decorate, color=blue, line width=2, decoration=snake] (0, -1.4) to (5, -1.4);
    \node[draw=none, font=\small, anchor=west] (node1) at ({5.3}, {-1.4}) {\texttt{snake}};
    \draw[decorate, color=teal, line width=2, decoration=coil] (0, -2.8) to (5, -2.8);
    \node[draw=none, font=\small, anchor=west] (node2) at ({5.3}, {-2.8}) {\texttt{coil}};
    \draw[decorate, color=orange, line width=2, decoration=bumps] (0, -4.199999999999999) to (5, -4.199999999999999);
    \node[draw=none, font=\small, anchor=west] (node3) at ({5.3}, {-4.199999999999999}) {\texttt{bumps}};
\end{tikzpicture}

Standalone LaTeX Document

print(fig.generate_standalone())

\documentclass[border=10pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=newest}
\usepgfplotslibrary{groupplots}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta}
% Custom document setup
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}
\begin{document}
% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=red, line width=2, decoration=zigzag] (0, 0.0) to (5, 0.0);
    \node[draw=none, font=\small, anchor=west] (node0) at ({5.3}, {0.0}) {\texttt{zigzag}};
    \draw[decorate, color=blue, line width=2, decoration=snake] (0, -1.4) to (5, -1.4);
    \node[draw=none, font=\small, anchor=west] (node1) at ({5.3}, {-1.4}) {\texttt{snake}};
    \draw[decorate, color=teal, line width=2, decoration=coil] (0, -2.8) to (5, -2.8);
    \node[draw=none, font=\small, anchor=west] (node2) at ({5.3}, {-2.8}) {\texttt{coil}};
    \draw[decorate, color=orange, line width=2, decoration=bumps] (0, -4.199999999999999) to (5, -4.199999999999999);
    \node[draw=none, font=\small, anchor=west] (node3) at ({5.3}, {-4.199999999999999}) {\texttt{bumps}};
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

decoration="brace": bracket annotations

The "brace" decoration draws a curly bracket spanning two points. It requires the decorations.pathreplacing library.

Use a brace to annotate the width or height of a region in your diagram. Draw the brace from right to left (or bottom to top) so the bracket opens toward the region.

fig = TikzFigure(
    document_setup=(
        r"\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}"
        "\n"
        r"\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathreplacing}"
    )
)

# The region being annotated
fig.add_node(
    x=2,
    y=1,
    shape="rectangle",
    fill="blue!15",
    draw="blue!50",
    minimum_width="4cm",
    minimum_height="1.5cm",
    content="annotated region",
)

# Horizontal brace below the rectangle (right-to-left so the brace opens upward)
fig.draw(
    [(4, 0.1), (0, 0.1)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="brace",
    line_width=1.5,
    color="blue!70",
)
fig.add_node(
    2, -0.45, content="4 cm wide", draw="none", color="blue!70", font=r"\small"
)

# Vertical brace on the right side (bottom-to-top so the brace opens rightward)
fig.draw(
    [(4.15, 0.25), (4.15, 1.75)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="brace",
    line_width=1.5,
    color="red!70",
)
fig.add_node(
    5.0,
    1.0,
    content="1.5 cm",
    draw="none",
    color="red!70",
    font=r"\small",
    anchor="west",
)

fig.show()

Show Tikz code

Tikz Code

print(fig)

% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[shape=rectangle, fill=blue!15, draw=blue!50, minimum width=4cm, minimum height=1.5cm] (node0) at ({2}, {1}) {annotated region};
    \draw[decorate, color=blue!70, line width=1.5, decoration=brace] (4, 0.1) to (0, 0.1);
    \node[color=blue!70, draw=none, font=\small] (node1) at ({2}, {-0.45}) {4 cm wide};
    \draw[decorate, color=red!70, line width=1.5, decoration=brace] (4.15, 0.25) to (4.15, 1.75);
    \node[color=red!70, draw=none, font=\small, anchor=west] (node2) at ({5.0}, {1.0}) {1.5 cm};
\end{tikzpicture}

Standalone LaTeX Document

print(fig.generate_standalone())

\documentclass[border=10pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=newest}
\usepgfplotslibrary{groupplots}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta}
% Custom document setup
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathreplacing}
\begin{document}
% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \node[shape=rectangle, fill=blue!15, draw=blue!50, minimum width=4cm, minimum height=1.5cm] (node0) at ({2}, {1}) {annotated region};
    \draw[decorate, color=blue!70, line width=1.5, decoration=brace] (4, 0.1) to (0, 0.1);
    \node[color=blue!70, draw=none, font=\small] (node1) at ({2}, {-0.45}) {4 cm wide};
    \draw[decorate, color=red!70, line width=1.5, decoration=brace] (4.15, 0.25) to (4.15, 1.75);
    \node[color=red!70, draw=none, font=\small, anchor=west] (node2) at ({5.0}, {1.0}) {1.5 cm};
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}

Combining decorations with colors and line widths

Decorations become more expressive when combined with thick lines and vivid colors. Here is a physics-style figure with springs, a snake rope, and a bumpy road.

fig = TikzFigure(
    document_setup=(
        r"\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}"
        "\n"
        r"\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathreplacing}"
    )
)

# Ground line (zigzag = rough terrain)
fig.draw(
    [(0, 0), (8, 0)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="zigzag",
    line_width=2,
    color="brown!70",
)

# Springs connecting ground to ceiling
fig.draw(
    [(1, 0), (1, 3)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="coil",
    line_width=2,
    color="gray!70",
)
fig.draw(
    [(7, 0), (7, 3)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="coil",
    line_width=2,
    color="gray!70",
)

# Snake rope across the top
fig.draw(
    [(1, 3), (7, 3)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="snake",
    line_width=2.5,
    color="orange!80",
)

# Bumpy road in the middle
fig.draw(
    [(2, 1.5), (6, 1.5)],
    options=["decorate"],
    decoration="bumps",
    line_width=2,
    color="teal",
)

# Anchor nodes
for x in [1, 7]:
    fig.add_node(
        x, 3, shape="circle", fill="gray!50", draw="gray", minimum_size="0.3cm"
    )
    fig.add_node(
        x,
        0,
        shape="rectangle",
        fill="brown!40",
        draw="brown",
        minimum_width="0.4cm",
        minimum_height="0.2cm",
    )

fig.show()

Show Tikz code

Tikz Code

print(fig)

% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=brown!70, line width=2, decoration=zigzag] (0, 0) to (8, 0);
    \draw[decorate, color=gray!70, line width=2, decoration=coil] (1, 0) to (1, 3);
    \draw[decorate, color=gray!70, line width=2, decoration=coil] (7, 0) to (7, 3);
    \draw[decorate, color=orange!80, line width=2.5, decoration=snake] (1, 3) to (7, 3);
    \draw[decorate, color=teal, line width=2, decoration=bumps] (2, 1.5) to (6, 1.5);
    \node[shape=circle, fill=gray!50, draw=gray, minimum size=0.3cm] (node0) at ({1}, {3}) {};
    \node[shape=rectangle, fill=brown!40, draw=brown, minimum width=0.4cm, minimum height=0.2cm] (node1) at ({1}, {0}) {};
    \node[shape=circle, fill=gray!50, draw=gray, minimum size=0.3cm] (node2) at ({7}, {3}) {};
    \node[shape=rectangle, fill=brown!40, draw=brown, minimum width=0.4cm, minimum height=0.2cm] (node3) at ({7}, {0}) {};
\end{tikzpicture}

Standalone LaTeX Document

print(fig.generate_standalone())

\documentclass[border=10pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{pgfplots}
\pgfplotsset{compat=newest}
\usepgfplotslibrary{groupplots}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta}
% Custom document setup
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathmorphing}
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.pathreplacing}
\begin{document}
% --------------------------------------------- %
% Tikzfigure generated by tikzfigure v0.2.1     %
% https://github.com/max-models/tikzfigure      %
% --------------------------------------------- %
\begin{tikzpicture}
    \draw[decorate, color=brown!70, line width=2, decoration=zigzag] (0, 0) to (8, 0);
    \draw[decorate, color=gray!70, line width=2, decoration=coil] (1, 0) to (1, 3);
    \draw[decorate, color=gray!70, line width=2, decoration=coil] (7, 0) to (7, 3);
    \draw[decorate, color=orange!80, line width=2.5, decoration=snake] (1, 3) to (7, 3);
    \draw[decorate, color=teal, line width=2, decoration=bumps] (2, 1.5) to (6, 1.5);
    \node[shape=circle, fill=gray!50, draw=gray, minimum size=0.3cm] (node0) at ({1}, {3}) {};
    \node[shape=rectangle, fill=brown!40, draw=brown, minimum width=0.4cm, minimum height=0.2cm] (node1) at ({1}, {0}) {};
    \node[shape=circle, fill=gray!50, draw=gray, minimum size=0.3cm] (node2) at ({7}, {3}) {};
    \node[shape=rectangle, fill=brown!40, draw=brown, minimum width=0.4cm, minimum height=0.2cm] (node3) at ({7}, {0}) {};
\end{tikzpicture}

\end{document}