diff --git a/examples/tutorials/basics/text.py b/examples/tutorials/basics/text.py
index 1f225bb39c3..de2cb37ca3d 100644
--- a/examples/tutorials/basics/text.py
+++ b/examples/tutorials/basics/text.py
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@
 fig.coast(land="black", water="skyblue")
 
 # Create space-delimited file
-with open("examples.txt", "w") as f:
+with Path("examples.txt").open() as f:
     f.write("114 0.5 0 22p,Helvetica-Bold,white CM BORNEO\n")
     f.write("119 3.25 0 12p,Helvetica-Bold,black CM CELEBES SEA\n")
     f.write("112 -4.6 0 12p,Helvetica-Bold,black CM JAVA SEA\n")
diff --git a/pygmt/figure.py b/pygmt/figure.py
index f908cff1b93..ebeccc90287 100644
--- a/pygmt/figure.py
+++ b/pygmt/figure.py
@@ -497,9 +497,7 @@ def _preview(self, fmt, dpi, as_bytes=False, **kwargs):
         fname = Path(self._preview_dir.name) / f"{self._name}.{fmt}"
         self.savefig(fname, dpi=dpi, **kwargs)
         if as_bytes:
-            with open(fname, "rb") as image:
-                preview = image.read()
-            return preview
+            return fname.read_bytes()
         return fname
 
     def _repr_png_(self):
diff --git a/pygmt/helpers/tempfile.py b/pygmt/helpers/tempfile.py
index bed79f352ae..3cbb88060df 100644
--- a/pygmt/helpers/tempfile.py
+++ b/pygmt/helpers/tempfile.py
@@ -88,11 +88,10 @@ def read(self, keep_tabs=False):
         content : str
             Content of the temporary file as a Unicode string.
         """
-        with open(self.name, encoding="utf8") as tmpfile:
-            content = tmpfile.read()
-            if not keep_tabs:
-                content = content.replace("\t", " ")
-            return content
+        content = Path(self.name).read_text(encoding="utf8")
+        if not keep_tabs:
+            content = content.replace("\t", " ")
+        return content
 
     def loadtxt(self, **kwargs):
         """
diff --git a/pygmt/src/plot.py b/pygmt/src/plot.py
index b4c01b9438e..0ed42569386 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/plot.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/plot.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 plot - Plot in two dimensions.
 """
 
+from pathlib import Path
+
 from pygmt.clib import Session
 from pygmt.exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
 from pygmt.helpers import (
@@ -220,7 +222,7 @@ def plot(  # noqa: PLR0912
     elif kwargs.get("S") is None and kind == "file" and str(data).endswith(".gmt"):
         # checking that the data is a file path to set default style
         try:
-            with open(which(data), encoding="utf8") as file:
+            with Path(which(data)).open(encoding="utf8") as file:
                 line = file.readline()
             if "@GMULTIPOINT" in line or "@GPOINT" in line:
                 # if the file is gmt style and geometry is set to Point
diff --git a/pygmt/src/plot3d.py b/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
index 029820bcec4..71407a65c90 100644
--- a/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
+++ b/pygmt/src/plot3d.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 plot3d - Plot in three dimensions.
 """
 
+from pathlib import Path
+
 from pygmt.clib import Session
 from pygmt.exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
 from pygmt.helpers import (
@@ -195,7 +197,7 @@ def plot3d(  # noqa: PLR0912
     elif kwargs.get("S") is None and kind == "file" and str(data).endswith(".gmt"):
         # checking that the data is a file path to set default style
         try:
-            with open(which(data), encoding="utf8") as file:
+            with Path(which(data)).open(encoding="utf8") as file:
                 line = file.readline()
             if "@GMULTIPOINT" in line or "@GPOINT" in line:
                 # if the file is gmt style and geometry is set to Point
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_helpers.py b/pygmt/tests/test_helpers.py
index 9b25c71aa0b..b805523f75d 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_helpers.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_helpers.py
@@ -132,8 +132,7 @@ def test_gmttempfile_read():
     Make sure GMTTempFile.read() works.
     """
     with GMTTempFile() as tmpfile:
-        with open(tmpfile.name, "w", encoding="utf8") as ftmp:
-            ftmp.write("in.dat: N = 2\t<1/3>\t<2/4>\n")
+        Path(tmpfile.name).write_text("in.dat: N = 2\t<1/3>\t<2/4>\n")
         assert tmpfile.read() == "in.dat: N = 2 <1/3> <2/4>\n"
         assert tmpfile.read(keep_tabs=True) == "in.dat: N = 2\t<1/3>\t<2/4>\n"
 
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_legend.py b/pygmt/tests/test_legend.py
index 9c4936d9984..8721bb66384 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_legend.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_legend.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 Test Figure.legend.
 """
 
+from pathlib import Path
+
 import pytest
 from pygmt import Figure
 from pygmt.exceptions import GMTInvalidInput
@@ -95,8 +97,7 @@ def test_legend_specfile():
 """
 
     with GMTTempFile() as specfile:
-        with open(specfile.name, "w", encoding="utf8") as file:
-            file.write(specfile_contents)
+        Path(specfile.name).write_text(specfile_contents)
         fig = Figure()
         fig.basemap(projection="x6i", region=[0, 1, 0, 1], frame=True)
         fig.legend(specfile.name, position="JTM+jCM+w5i")
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_meca.py b/pygmt/tests/test_meca.py
index bcf69f059f3..e54799711ad 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_meca.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_meca.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 Test Figure.meca.
 """
 
+from pathlib import Path
+
 import numpy as np
 import pandas as pd
 import pytest
@@ -72,13 +74,8 @@ def test_meca_spec_single_focalmecha_file():
     fig = Figure()
     fig.basemap(region=[-1, 1, 4, 6], projection="M8c", frame=2)
     with GMTTempFile() as temp:
-        with open(temp.name, mode="w", encoding="utf8") as temp_file:
-            temp_file.write("0 5 0 0 90 0 5")
-        fig.meca(
-            spec=temp.name,
-            convention="aki",
-            scale="2.5c",
-        )
+        Path(temp.name).write_text("0 5 0 0 90 0 5")
+        fig.meca(spec=temp.name, convention="aki", scale="2.5c")
     return fig
 
 
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py b/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py
index 76158bfe038..ecae491c6fa 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_plot.py
@@ -487,8 +487,7 @@ def test_plot_ogrgmt_file_multipoint_default_style(func):
 # FEATURE_DATA
 1 2
         """
-        with open(tmpfile.name, "w", encoding="utf8") as file:
-            file.write(gmt_file)
+        Path(tmpfile.name).write_text(gmt_file)
         fig = Figure()
         fig.plot(
             data=func(tmpfile.name), region=[0, 2, 1, 3], projection="X2c", frame=True
@@ -507,8 +506,7 @@ def test_plot_ogrgmt_file_multipoint_non_default_style():
 # FEATURE_DATA
 1 2
         """
-        with open(tmpfile.name, "w", encoding="utf8") as file:
-            file.write(gmt_file)
+        Path(tmpfile.name).write_text(gmt_file)
         fig = Figure()
         fig.plot(
             data=tmpfile.name,
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_plot3d.py b/pygmt/tests/test_plot3d.py
index c37c899a30b..33f3c94812f 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_plot3d.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_plot3d.py
@@ -444,8 +444,7 @@ def test_plot3d_ogrgmt_file_multipoint_default_style(func):
 >
 1 1 2
 1.5 1.5 1"""
-        with open(tmpfile.name, "w", encoding="utf8") as file:
-            file.write(gmt_file)
+        Path(tmpfile.name).write_text(gmt_file)
         fig = Figure()
         fig.plot3d(
             data=func(tmpfile.name),
@@ -470,8 +469,7 @@ def test_plot3d_ogrgmt_file_multipoint_non_default_style():
 >
 1 1 2
 1.5 1.5 1"""
-        with open(tmpfile.name, "w", encoding="utf8") as file:
-            file.write(gmt_file)
+        Path(tmpfile.name).write_text(gmt_file)
         fig = Figure()
         fig.plot3d(
             data=tmpfile.name,
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_text.py b/pygmt/tests/test_text.py
index 3969c451e68..1ef6a19bc11 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_text.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_text.py
@@ -299,8 +299,7 @@ def test_text_angle_font_justify_from_textfile():
     """
     fig = Figure()
     with GMTTempFile(suffix=".txt") as tempfile:
-        with open(tempfile.name, "w", encoding="utf8") as tmpfile:
-            tmpfile.write("114 0.5 30 22p,Helvetica-Bold,black LM BORNEO")
+        Path(tempfile.name).write_text("114 0.5 30 22p,Helvetica-Bold,black LM BORNEO")
         fig.text(
             region=[113, 117.5, -0.5, 3],
             projection="M5c",
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_x2sys_cross.py b/pygmt/tests/test_x2sys_cross.py
index 49256953707..c9209bd254a 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_x2sys_cross.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_x2sys_cross.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def _fixture_mock_x2sys_home(monkeypatch):
     Set the X2SYS_HOME environment variable to the current working directory for the
     test session.
     """
-    monkeypatch.setenv("X2SYS_HOME", Path.cwd())
+    monkeypatch.setenv("X2SYS_HOME", str(Path.cwd()))
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="module", name="tracks")
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ def test_x2sys_cross_input_two_dataframes():
         )
 
         # Add a time row to the x2sys fmtfile
-        with open(tmpdir_p / "xyz.fmt", mode="a", encoding="utf8") as fmtfile:
+        with (tmpdir_p / "xyz.fmt").open(mode="a", encoding="utf8") as fmtfile:
             fmtfile.write("time\ta\tN\t0\t1\t0\t%g\n")
 
         # Create pandas.DataFrame track tables
@@ -175,10 +175,7 @@ def test_x2sys_cross_input_two_filenames():
         # Create temporary xyz files
         for i in range(2):
             rng = np.random.default_rng(seed=i)
-            with open(
-                Path.cwd() / f"track_{i}.xyz", mode="w", encoding="utf8"
-            ) as fname:
-                np.savetxt(fname=fname, X=rng.random((10, 3)))
+            np.savetxt(fname=Path.cwd() / f"track_{i}.xyz", X=rng.random((10, 3)))
 
         output = x2sys_cross(tracks=["track_0.xyz", "track_1.xyz"], tag=tag, coe="e")
 
diff --git a/pygmt/tests/test_x2sys_init.py b/pygmt/tests/test_x2sys_init.py
index c0664110eda..e06eb0e7644 100644
--- a/pygmt/tests/test_x2sys_init.py
+++ b/pygmt/tests/test_x2sys_init.py
@@ -30,11 +30,9 @@ def test_x2sys_init_region_spacing():
         x2sys_init(
             tag=tag, fmtfile="xyz", force=True, region=[0, 10, 20, 30], spacing=[5, 5]
         )
-
-        with open(tmpdir_p / f"{tag}.tag", encoding="utf8") as tagpath:
-            tail_line = tagpath.readlines()[-1]
-            assert "-R0/10/20/30" in tail_line
-            assert "-I5/5" in tail_line
+        tail_line = (tmpdir_p / f"{tag}.tag").read_text().splitlines()[-1]
+        assert "-R0/10/20/30" in tail_line
+        assert "-I5/5" in tail_line
 
 
 @pytest.mark.benchmark
@@ -54,7 +52,6 @@ def test_x2sys_init_units_gap():
             gap=["tseconds", "de"],
         )
 
-        with open(tmpdir_p / f"{tag}.tag", encoding="utf8") as tagpath:
-            tail_line = tagpath.readlines()[-1]
-            assert "-Nse -Nde" in tail_line
-            assert "-Wtseconds -Wde" in tail_line
+        tail_line = (tmpdir_p / f"{tag}.tag").read_text().splitlines()[-1]
+        assert "-Nse -Nde" in tail_line
+        assert "-Wtseconds -Wde" in tail_line