diff --git a/docs/example_generation.jl b/docs/example_generation.jl
index 8a0efd66..09f5b2a5 100644
--- a/docs/example_generation.jl
+++ b/docs/example_generation.jl
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ const examples = PlotExample[
   PlotExample("Lots of line types",
               "Options: (:line, :step, :stepinverted, :sticks, :dots, :none, :heatmap, :hexbin, :hist, :bar)  \nNote: some may not work with all backends",
               [:(plot(rand(20,4); linetypes=[:line, :step, :sticks, :dots], labels=["line","step","sticks","dots"]))]),
+  PlotExample("Lots of marker types",
+              "Options: (:none, :ellipse, :rect, :diamond, :utriangle, :dtriangle, :cross, :xcross, :star1, :star2, :hexagon)  \nNote: some may not work with all backends",
+              [:(plot(repmat(collect(1:10)',10,1); markers=[:ellipse, :rect, :diamond, :utriangle, :dtriangle, :cross, :xcross, :star1, :star2, :hexagon],
+                                         labels=["ellipse", "rect", "diamond", "utriangle", "dtriangle", "cross", "xcross", "star1", "star2", "hexagon"],
+                                         linetype=:none, markersize=10))]),
   PlotExample("Bar",
               "x is the midpoint of the bar. (todo: allow passing of edges instead of midpoints)",
               [:(bar(randn(1000)))]),
diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
index f4424a68..35b90c42 100644
--- a/src/backends/pyplot.jl
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -24,23 +24,105 @@ pyplot!() = plotter!(:pyplot)
 #   d
 # end
 
+
+# convert colorant to 4-tuple RGBA
+getPyPlotColor(c::Colorant) = map(f->float(f(c)), (red, green, blue, alpha))
+
+# get the style (solid, dashed, etc)
+function getPyPlotLineStyle(linetype::Symbol, linestyle::Symbol)
+  linetype == :none && return " "
+  linestyle == :solid && return "-"
+  linestyle == :dash && return "--"
+  linestyle == :dot && return ":"
+  linestyle == :dashdot && return "-."
+  linestyle == :dashdotdot && return "-."
+  warn("Unknown linestyle $linestyle")
+  return "-"
+end
+
+# get the marker shape
+function getPyPlotMarker(marker::Symbol)
+  marker == :none && return " "
+  marker == :ellipse && return "o"
+  marker == :rect && return "s"
+  marker == :diamond && return "D"
+  marker == :utriangle && return "^"
+  marker == :dtriangle && return "v"
+  marker == :cross && return "x"
+  marker == :xcross && return "+"
+  marker == :star1 && return "*"
+  marker == :star2 && return "*"
+  marker == :hexagon && return "h"
+  warn("Unknown marker $marker")
+  return "o"
+end
+
+# pass through
+function getPyPlotMarker(marker::String)
+  @assert length(marker) == 1
+  marker
+end
+
+function getPyPlotDrawStyle(linetype::Symbol)
+  linetype == :step && "steps-post"
+  linetype == :stepinverted && "steps-pre"
+  return "default"
+end
+
+
 function plot(pkg::PyPlotPackage; kw...)
-  # kw = adjustQwtKeywords(true; kw...)
-  # o = Qwt.plot(zeros(0,0); kw..., show=false)
-  plt = Plot(o, pkg, 0, kw, Dict[])
+  # create the figure
+  d = Dict(kw)
+  w,h = map(px2inch, d[:size])
+  bgcolor = getPyPlotColor(d[:background_color])
+  @show w h
+  o = PyPlot.figure(; figsize = (w,h), facecolor = bgcolor, dpi = 96)
+
+  plt = Plot(o, pkg, 0, d, Dict[])
   plt
 end
 
+# TODO:
+# - 2-axis
+# - bar
+# - hist
+# - fillto/area
+# - heatmap
+# - subplot
+# title           # string or symbol, title of the plot
+# xlabel          # string or symbol, label on the bottom (x) axis
+# ylabel          # string or symbol, label on the left (y) axis
+# yrightlabel     # string or symbol, label on the right (y) axis
+# reg             # true or false, add a regression line for each line
+# pos             # (Int,Int), move the enclosing window to this position
+# windowtitle     # string or symbol, set the title of the enclosing windowtitle
+# screen          # Integer, move enclosing window to this screen number (for multiscreen desktops)
+# show            # true or false, show the plot (in case you don't want the window to pop up right away)
+
 function plot!(::PyPlotPackage, plt::Plot; kw...)
-  # kw = adjustQwtKeywords(false; kw...)
-  # Qwt.oplot(plt.o; kw...)
-  push!(plt.seriesargs, kw)
+  d = Dict(kw)
+
+  lt = d[:linetype]
+  PyPlot.plot(d[:x], d[:y]; figure = plt.o,
+                     color = getPyPlotColor(d[:color]),
+                     linewidth = d[:width],
+                     linestyle = getPyPlotLineStyle(lt, d[:linestyle]),
+                     marker = getPyPlotMarker(d[:marker]),
+                     markersize = d[:markersize],
+                     markerfacecolor = getPyPlotColor(d[:markercolor]),
+                     drawstyle = getPyPlotDrawStyle(lt),
+                     label = d[:label],
+    )
+
+  if plt.initargs[:legend]
+    PyPlot.legend()
+  end
+
+  push!(plt.seriesargs, d)
   plt
 end
 
 function Base.display(::PyPlotPackage, plt::Plot)
-  # Qwt.refresh(plt.o)
-  # Qwt.showwidget(plt.o)
   display(plt.o)
 end
 
diff --git a/src/backends/qwt.jl b/src/backends/qwt.jl
index 225d7708..cbb80374 100644
--- a/src/backends/qwt.jl
+++ b/src/backends/qwt.jl
@@ -25,16 +25,16 @@ function adjustQwtKeywords(iscreating::Bool; kw...)
 end
 
 function plot(pkg::QwtPackage; kw...)
-  kw = adjustQwtKeywords(true; kw...)
-  o = Qwt.plot(zeros(0,0); kw..., show=false)
-  plt = Plot(o, pkg, 0, kw, Dict[])
+  d = adjustQwtKeywords(true; kw...)
+  o = Qwt.plot(zeros(0,0); d..., show=false)
+  plt = Plot(o, pkg, 0, d, Dict[])
   plt
 end
 
 function plot!(::QwtPackage, plt::Plot; kw...)
-  kw = adjustQwtKeywords(false; kw...)
-  Qwt.oplot(plt.o; kw...)
-  push!(plt.seriesargs, kw)
+  d = adjustQwtKeywords(false; kw...)
+  Qwt.oplot(plt.o; d...)
+  push!(plt.seriesargs, d)
   plt
 end
 
diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index 5a167a23..b7e1bddd 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -69,3 +69,15 @@ function barHack(; kw...)
   d
 end
 
+
+# Some conversion functions
+# note: I borrowed these conversion constants from Compose.jl's Measure
+const INCH_SCALAR = 25.4
+const PX_SCALAR = 1 / 3.78 
+inch2px(inches::Real) = float(inches * INCH_SCALAR / PX_SCALAR)
+px2inch(px::Real) = float(px * PX_SCALAR / INCH_SCALAR)
+inch2mm(inches::Real) = float(inches * INCH_SCALAR)
+mm2inch(mm::Real) = float(mm / INCH_SCALAR)
+px2mm(px::Real) = float(px * PX_SCALAR)
+mm2px(mm::Real) = float(px / PX_SCALAR)
+