Scientific figure requirements: what major journals ask for

1. Column widths

Single-column figures are usually 85–90 mm wide (Nature: 88 mm; Science: 55 mm for one column, 120 mm for two; Elsevier: 90 mm). Double-column figures run 170–180 mm. Design at the final width so text and line weights are correct without scaling.

2. Resolution

Most publishers ask for roughly 1000 DPI for pure line art, 300 DPI for photographs, and 500–600 DPI for figures that mix the two, all measured at final printed size. PaperPict exports PNG at 600+ DPI at single-column width and up to 8K pixels on the long edge, which covers the common cases; for pure line art, send the SVG or PDF instead and the question of DPI goes away.

3. File formats

Most publishers accept TIFF, EPS, PDF, and high-resolution JPG or PNG; several now accept SVG. Editable vectors (SVG, PDF) are preferred for line art because they never pixelate. Keep the layered SVG as your master and export rasters from it as needed.

4. Fonts and label sizes

Use a standard sans-serif (Arial or Helvetica) at 6–8 pt minimum at final size; Nature asks for 5–7 pt for panel text and 8 pt for panel letters. Avoid outlining fonts unless the journal asks; embedded live text is easier for production staff to correct.

5. Panel lettering

Lowercase bold for Nature-family journals (a, b, c), uppercase for many others (A, B, C). Place letters at the top left of each panel, outside the plot area. PaperPict lets you switch lettering style for an entire multi-panel figure in one setting.

6. Colour and accessibility

Nature, Cell, and PLOS all recommend colour-blind-safe palettes and discourage rainbow maps. Avoid red–green contrasts as the only distinction; add texture, shape, or labels. The Okabe-Ito palette is the most widely recommended safe set.

7. Line weights

Minimum 0.25 pt at final size for hairlines; 0.5–1 pt for most strokes; arrows should be visibly heavier than gridlines. Consistent weights across all panels are one of the strongest signals of a professionally prepared figure.