<h3 dir="auto">Bug summary</h3>
<p dir="auto">The suptitle of the figure does not show if using plt.subfigures, without defining layout to be 'constrained'.</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Code for reproduction</h3>
<div class="highlight highlight-source-python notranslate position-relative overflow-auto" dir="auto" data-snippet-clipboard-copy-content="fig = plt.figure(figsize=(20, 14))
subfigs = fig.subfigures(1, 4, wspace=0.5, width_ratios=[0.5, 1, 1, 1])

axs0= subfigs[0].subplots(nrows = 12, ncols = 1, sharex = True)
axs1 = subfigs[1].subplots(nrows = 12, ncols = 1, sharex = True)
subfigs[1].suptitle('\n A subfigure')

axs2 = subfigs[2].subplots(nrows = 12, ncols = 1, sharex = True)
subfigs[2].suptitle('\n A subfigure')

axs3 = subfigs[3].subplots(nrows = 12, ncols = 1, sharex = True)
subfigs[3].suptitle('\n A subfigure')"><pre class="notranslate"><span class="pl-s1">fig</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">plt</span>.<span class="pl-en">figure</span>(<span class="pl-s1">figsize</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span>(<span class="pl-c1">20</span>, <span class="pl-c1">14</span>))
<span class="pl-s1">subfigs</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">fig</span>.<span class="pl-en">subfigures</span>(<span class="pl-c1">1</span>, <span class="pl-c1">4</span>, <span class="pl-s1">wspace</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span><span class="pl-c1">0.5</span>, <span class="pl-s1">width_ratios</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span>[<span class="pl-c1">0.5</span>, <span class="pl-c1">1</span>, <span class="pl-c1">1</span>, <span class="pl-c1">1</span>])

<span class="pl-s1">axs0</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">subfigs</span>[<span class="pl-c1">0</span>].<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>(<span class="pl-s1">nrows</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">12</span>, <span class="pl-s1">ncols</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">1</span>, <span class="pl-s1">sharex</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">True</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">axs1</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">subfigs</span>[<span class="pl-c1">1</span>].<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>(<span class="pl-s1">nrows</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">12</span>, <span class="pl-s1">ncols</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">1</span>, <span class="pl-s1">sharex</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">True</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">subfigs</span>[<span class="pl-c1">1</span>].<span class="pl-en">suptitle</span>(<span class="pl-s">'<span class="pl-cce">\n</span> A subfigure'</span>)

<span class="pl-s1">axs2</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">subfigs</span>[<span class="pl-c1">2</span>].<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>(<span class="pl-s1">nrows</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">12</span>, <span class="pl-s1">ncols</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">1</span>, <span class="pl-s1">sharex</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">True</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">subfigs</span>[<span class="pl-c1">2</span>].<span class="pl-en">suptitle</span>(<span class="pl-s">'<span class="pl-cce">\n</span> A subfigure'</span>)

<span class="pl-s1">axs3</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">subfigs</span>[<span class="pl-c1">3</span>].<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>(<span class="pl-s1">nrows</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">12</span>, <span class="pl-s1">ncols</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">1</span>, <span class="pl-s1">sharex</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-c1">True</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">subfigs</span>[<span class="pl-c1">3</span>].<span class="pl-en">suptitle</span>(<span class="pl-s">'<span class="pl-cce">\n</span> A subfigure'</span>)</pre></div>
<h3 dir="auto">Actual outcome</h3>
<p dir="auto"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/64196642/226391637-ccb126ff-c20e-4fbd-8fda-f6e599942c75.png"><img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/64196642/226391637-ccb126ff-c20e-4fbd-8fda-f6e599942c75.png" alt="image" style="max-width: 100%;"></a></p>
<h3 dir="auto">Expected outcome</h3>
<p dir="auto">A title should be given on top of the figure</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Additional information</h3>
<p dir="auto"><em>No response</em></p>
<h3 dir="auto">Operating system</h3>
<p dir="auto">Ubuntu</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Matplotlib Version</h3>
<p dir="auto">3.6.2</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Matplotlib Backend</h3>
<p dir="auto">Qt5Agg</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Python version</h3>
<p dir="auto">3.10.9</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Jupyter version</h3>
<p dir="auto"><em>No response</em></p>
<h3 dir="auto">Installation</h3>
<p dir="auto">conda</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Bug summary</h3>
<p dir="auto">In a fairly basic example using subfigures, a suptitle added to the parent figure is not visible:</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Code for reproduction</h3>
<div class="highlight highlight-source-python notranslate position-relative overflow-auto" dir="auto" data-snippet-clipboard-copy-content="f = plt.figure(figsize=(4, 3))
sf1, sf2 = f.subfigures(1, 2)
sf1.subplots()
sf2.subplots()
f.suptitle(&quot;It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a suptitle&quot;)"><pre class="notranslate"><span class="pl-s1">f</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">plt</span>.<span class="pl-en">figure</span>(<span class="pl-s1">figsize</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span>(<span class="pl-c1">4</span>, <span class="pl-c1">3</span>))
<span class="pl-s1">sf1</span>, <span class="pl-s1">sf2</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">f</span>.<span class="pl-en">subfigures</span>(<span class="pl-c1">1</span>, <span class="pl-c1">2</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">sf1</span>.<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>()
<span class="pl-s1">sf2</span>.<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>()
<span class="pl-s1">f</span>.<span class="pl-en">suptitle</span>(<span class="pl-s">"It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a suptitle"</span>)</pre></div>
<h3 dir="auto">Actual outcome</h3>
<p dir="auto"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/315810/211206529-a3249ee9-6de1-4f0d-8be4-3e46f6f484dc.png"><img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/315810/211206529-a3249ee9-6de1-4f0d-8be4-3e46f6f484dc.png" alt="test" style="max-width: 100%;"></a></p>
<h3 dir="auto">Expected outcome</h3>
<p dir="auto">Visible suptitle.</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Additional information</h3>
<p dir="auto">It looks like this is happening because the subfigures have a solid facecolor that obscure the suptitle:</p>
<div class="highlight highlight-source-python notranslate position-relative overflow-auto" dir="auto" data-snippet-clipboard-copy-content="f = plt.figure(figsize=(4, 3))
sf1, sf2 = f.subfigures(1, 2)
sf1.subplots()
sf2.subplots()
sf1.set_facecolor((.8, 0, 0, .3))
f.suptitle(&quot;It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a suptitle&quot;)"><pre class="notranslate"><span class="pl-s1">f</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">plt</span>.<span class="pl-en">figure</span>(<span class="pl-s1">figsize</span><span class="pl-c1">=</span>(<span class="pl-c1">4</span>, <span class="pl-c1">3</span>))
<span class="pl-s1">sf1</span>, <span class="pl-s1">sf2</span> <span class="pl-c1">=</span> <span class="pl-s1">f</span>.<span class="pl-en">subfigures</span>(<span class="pl-c1">1</span>, <span class="pl-c1">2</span>)
<span class="pl-s1">sf1</span>.<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>()
<span class="pl-s1">sf2</span>.<span class="pl-en">subplots</span>()
<span class="pl-s1">sf1</span>.<span class="pl-en">set_facecolor</span>((<span class="pl-c1">.8</span>, <span class="pl-c1">0</span>, <span class="pl-c1">0</span>, <span class="pl-c1">.3</span>))
<span class="pl-s1">f</span>.<span class="pl-en">suptitle</span>(<span class="pl-s">"It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a suptitle"</span>)</pre></div>
<p dir="auto"><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/315810/211206669-1b39ecf7-ce7c-444b-851f-8e994538cee1.png"><img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/315810/211206669-1b39ecf7-ce7c-444b-851f-8e994538cee1.png" alt="test" style="max-width: 100%;"></a></p>
<p dir="auto">Setting the zorder of the suptitle to a large number has no apparent effect.</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Matplotlib Version</h3>
<p dir="auto">3.6.2</p>
<h3 dir="auto">Matplotlib Backend</h3>
<p dir="auto">module://matplotlib_inline.backend_inline</p>