Python
I switched from MatLab to IPython a few years ago. I use the Jupyter Notebook daily to process data, design plots, and discuss with colleagues.
This experience has led me to build a notebook template that fits my taste with respect to figures, coding, etc. You can find this template below. It works on my computer, but I cannot guarantee it will work on yours. Please read the code and try and adapt it to your needs. Text formatting is based on LaTeX, using LuaLaTeX.
Figure formatting
We all have different tastes when it comes to figure design. There are however a few bits of info that can help make this step easier. I list below a few of these items:
Single-column and double-column figure print sizes are usually documented on journals' websites. You can find them here for Nature (look for sizing, 89 and 183 mm resp.), PRL (86 mm for a single column, 1.5 or twice this size for two columns), PNAS, etc. If you look at these numbers, you will notice that they are very close to each other. Setting your figure size in Jupyter to these values (in inches) using the figsize kwarg will display the figure as in print. Working with other software packages (illustrator, affinity designer, inkscape,GIMP,etc) will also benefit from this knowledge.
When plotting data, use different symbols for each dataset. Moreover, use a colour map that can be read by colour-blind people (like me). See the Matplotlib reference for a guide to these colour maps (Viridis, Cividis, Plasma, Magma, Inferno,etc)
Legends are not an option.
Font sizes should be different for axis titles and tick labels. I set the former to 10 pt and the latter to 8pt.