Timeline – LaTeX Cookbook

Using basic TikZ function it’s not too hard to create a line, add some ticks and date values and annotations.

This example shows another colorful predesigned way using the timeline library.

Until the timelime library becomes official part of TikZ or becomes available on CTAN, you can download the file tikzlibrarytimeline.code.tex from the authors repository https://github.com/cfiandra/timeline. You can install it in the TeX tree like any other package, but the easiest way is simply putting it into the same folder as your main TeX document.

Full explanation in Chapter 9, Creating Graphics: Generating a timeline.

Edit and compile if you like:

% Timeline
% Author: Stefan Kottwitz
% https://www.packtpub.com/hardware-and-creative/latex-cookbook
\documentclass[border = 10pt]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{timeline}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
  \timeline{5}
  \begin{phases}
    \initialphase{involvement degree=3cm,phase color=blue}
    \phase{between week=1 and 2 in 0.4,
      involvement degree=5cm,phase color=green!50!black}
    \phase{between week=2 and 3 in 0.2,
      involvement degree=6cm,phase color=red!40!black}
    \phase{between week=3 and 4 in 0.5,
      involvement degree=3cm,phase color=red!90!black}
    \phase{between week=4 and 5 in 0.3,
      involvement degree=2.5cm,phase color=red!40!yellow}
  \end{phases}
  \node [xshift=-0.6cm,yshift=1cm,anchor=east,
         font=\Large\bfseries] at (phase-0.180) {Auhor};
  \node [xshift=-0.6cm,yshift=-1cm,anchor=east,
         font=\Large\bfseries] at (phase-0.180) {Publisher};
  \addmilestone{at=phase-0.120,direction=120:1cm,
    text={Concept}, text options={above}}
  \addmilestone{at=phase-0.90,direction=90:1.2cm,
    text={Outline}}
  \addmilestone{at=phase-1.110,direction=110:1.5cm,
    text={Research}}
  \addmilestone{at=phase-2.100,direction=100:1cm,
    text={Writing}}
  \addmilestone{at=phase-2.60,direction=90:1.5cm,
     text={First draft}}
  \addmilestone{at=phase-3.90,direction=90:1.2cm,
    text={Second draft}}
   \addmilestone{at=phase-4.90,direction=90:0.8cm,
     text={Approval of print draft}}
   \addmilestone{at=phase-0.270,direction=270:1cm,
     text={Concept Review}, text options={below}}
   \addmilestone{at=phase-2.270,direction=270:1cm,
    text={First Review}}
   \addmilestone{at=phase-3.250,direction=250:0.8cm,
     text={Second Review}}
   \addmilestone{at=phase-3.300,direction=270:1.5cm,
     text={Approval required}}
   \addmilestone{at=phase-4.260,direction=270:2.2cm,
    text={Draft for printing}}
  \addmilestone{at=phase-4.300,direction=300:1cm,
    text={Publication}}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Click to download: timeline.tex • timeline.pdf
Open in Overleaf: timeline.tex