Nature Journal Figure Guidelines 2025: Everything You Need to Know

Getting accepted into a Nature Portfolio journal (Nature, Nature Medicine, Nature Communications, etc.) is a career-defining moment. Don't let your paper get rejected or delayed because of sloppy figures. Here are the definitive guidelines for 2025.

1. Figure Dimensions

Nature journals have strict width requirements based on column layout:

• Single Column (Standard): 89 mm (3.5 inches) wide.
• Double Column (Full Width): 183 mm (7.2 inches) wide.
• 1.5 Column: 120-136 mm wide.
• Maximum Height: 247 mm (9.7 inches).

2. Resolution (DPI)

Low-resolution images are an instant rejection trigger.

• Line Art (Graphs, Charts): 1000-1200 DPI. Ideally, submit as vector (PDF/EPS/AI).
• Color Images (Photos, Staining): 300-600 DPI.
• Combination (Photo + Text): 600 DPI.

3. Fonts and Text

Consistency is key.

• Font Family: Sans-serif only. Arial or Helvetica are preferred. Avoid Times New Roman.
• Font Size: 5-7 points (pt) for axis labels and legends. Panel labels (a, b, c) should be 8 pt bold.
• Line Weight: Minimum 0.25 pt (0.1 mm). Avoid hairlines that vanish when printed.

4. Color Mode

Submit figures in RGB for online publication. If printed, they will be converted to CMYK, so avoid neon colors that are out of gamut.

How Plotivy Helps

Memorizing these rules is tedious. Plotivy has a "Journal Style" feature.

Simply select "Nature" from the style dropdown, and Plotivy automatically:

• Sets the figure width to 89mm or 183mm.
• Changes all fonts to Arial/Helvetica.
• Sets font sizes to 7pt.
• Exports at 300+ DPI.