NATURE JOURNAL FIGURE REQUIREMENTS

Quick-reference specification sheet for authors

plotivy.app|Automated Journal Formatting

1Supported Formats & File Size

Format	Use Case
EPS / PDF	Preferred for line art, graphs, vector figures
TIFF	Photographic / raster images (Must be 300+ DPI)
PNG	Accepted for online submission

File Size Limits: Must be kept under 10 MB per figure. No layered files. Do not submit Word or PowerPoint figures for final manuscript submission.

2Resolution Requirements

Figure Type	Required DPI (Min)
Line art (graphs, schematics)	600 DPI
Combination (line + photo)	600 DPI
Halftone / photographs	300 DPI

# Python export implementation
plt.savefig('figure.tiff', dpi=600, bbox_inches='tight')

3Physical Dimensions

Single column width89 mm (3.5 in)
Double column (full width)183 mm (7.2 in)
Maximum height247 mm (9.7 in)

# Setting figure size in inches (width, height)
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(3.5, 3.0)) # Single-column
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(7.2, 4.0)) # Double-column

4Typography & Labels

Font FamilyArial or Helvetica

Font Size5-7 pt (Min)

Panel Labels (Multi-Panel)

Use lowercase bold letters: a, b, c. Place in top-left, 8 pt bold font. Do not use boxes around panel labels.

ax.text(-0.1, 1.05, 'a', transform=ax.transAxes,
fontsize=8, fontweight='bold')

import matplotlib as mpl
mpl.rcParams['font.family'] = 'Arial'
mpl.rcParams['font.size'] = 7

Common Rejection Reasons

Resolution below 300 DPI — the single most common technical rejection reason.
Figures are not final size — figures must be scaled to exactly 89mm or 183mm.
Figure text below 5 pt — includes tick labels and inset equations.
Fonts not embedded — use plt.savefig(..., format='pdf') to embed correctly.
Hairline rules — any lines below 0.5 pt will disappear in print reproduction.
White space not trimmed — use bbox_inches='tight'.
Overly complex figures — Nature recommends no more than 8 panels per figure.
Panel inconsistencies — labels missing, or don't match caption exactly.
Non-standard abbreviations — units must follow SI conventions.

Pre-Submission Checklist

Resolution checked (600 DPI line art, 300 DPI min photos)
Font set to Arial or Helvetica, min 5-7 pt
Panel labels in bold lowercase (a, b, c) at 8 pt
Figure width matches target column (89 mm or 183 mm)
No hairline rules (all plotted lines ≥ 0.5 pt)
Color Mode: RGB for online (CMYK optional for print)
Caption text is in manuscript, NOT in the figure file
File format correct for submission stage (PDF/EPS/TIFF)