def get_default_plot_params(plot_type=''):
    """Return the default parameters used for figure generation.
    
    Parameter
    ---------
    plot_type : string-optional
        Defines some plot-specific parameters to use by default
                
    Returns
    -------
    default_plot_params : dictionary
        Dictionary key-value pairs used to define plotting parameters

    """
    default_plot_params = {'autoclose': False, 'autoscale_y': True,
        'axis_bg_color': 'w', 'colormap': 'summer', 'color_order': [
        '#0072b2', '#d55e00', '#009e73', '#cc79a7', '#f0e442', '#56b4e9'],
        'figsize': (8, 6), 'fontsize': 14, 'grid': 'on', 'interactive': 
        True, 'line_color': 'default', 'line_style': '-', 'line_width': 2.0,
        'marker': None, 'output_fig_path': 'test', 'output_fig_type': 'png',
        'overlay_average': False, 'overlay_average_color': '#424949',
        'reverse_x': False, 'save_fig': False, 'suppress_fig': False,
        'tick_fontsize': 12, 'title': '', 'use_colormap': False,
        'use_sci_format_xaxis': False, 'use_sci_format_yaxis': True,
        'xlabel': '', 'xlim': None, 'ylabel': '', 'ylim': None}
    if plot_type is 'spectrum':
        default_plot_params.update({'reverse_x': True})
    elif plot_type is 'fid':
        default_plot_params.update({'reverse_x': False})
    elif plot_type is 'spectra':
        default_plot_params.update({'reverse_x': True, 'line_width': 1.0,
            'overlay_average': True})
    elif plot_type is 'fids':
        default_plot_params.update({'reverse_x': False, 'line_width': 1.0,
            'overlay_average': True})
    else:
        pass
    return default_plot_params
