I am developing a python module that uses pyROOT to access histograms in a ROOT file and easily plot them using matplotlib, a very full-featured package that focuses on the graphics output rather than data analysis. I think there’s a great deal to be gained by using the data analysis capabilities of root to create histograms, then interfacing with a package designed specifically with the final output in mind. My favorite feature is matplotlib’s ability to use the LaTeX engine installed on your system to render all the text, so you can make plots that match exactly with the body of a LaTeX document.
Full documentation is available here:
packages.python.org/root2matplot/
For those at CERN, the above pages have instructions for accessing a pre-existing installation on lxplus5 machines.