The basic process for putting figures in your papers:

  • Make a Python file (test.py)
  • Run python on it (python test.py) to get a PostScript file test.eps
  • Look at the output (gv test.eps)
  • Include it in your (la)tex file (figs.tex)
  • Run (la)tex and dvips on the tex file to get figs.ps
  • If you want a .pdf file, for example to use in pdflatex, run epstopdf on figs.ps to get figs.pdf
You can automate this by using the utility make and a suitable makefile. Then when you modify either test.py or figs.tex, just type make.

For more information on make, look at make.html. This also telsl you how to change your shell so it matches mine.