Journal Figure Requirements Checker
Look up exact figure specifications for 25+ major scientific journals. DPI, file format, column widths, font sizes, and color mode - everything you need to avoid desk rejection.
Figure formatting is one of the most common causes of manuscript delay. Journals have precise requirements that differ significantly - Nature requires 89 mm single-column width in Arial at 5-7 pt, while IEEE Transactions needs 88 mm in Times New Roman at 8 pt. Getting these wrong means revision cycles that cost weeks. Use this reference to get it right on the first submission.
Apply these specifications to your figure automatically
Plotivy generates figures that meet journal requirements without manual DPI and font size adjustment.
Generate a Compliant Figure| Journal | Action |
|---|---|
| Nature | |
| Science | |
| Cell | |
| PNAS | |
| Nature Communications | |
| Nature Methods | |
| eLife | |
| PLOS ONE | |
| PLOS Biology | |
| Journal of Biological Chemistry | |
| ACS Nano | |
| Angewandte Chemie | |
| JACS | |
| Physical Review Letters | |
| Physical Review B | |
| Applied Physics Letters | |
| IEEE Transactions | |
| Bioinformatics | |
| Nucleic Acids Research | |
| The Lancet | |
| NEJM | |
| JAMA | |
| BMJ | |
| Radiology | |
| NeuroImage |
Apply these specifications to your figure automatically
Plotivy generates figures that meet journal requirements without manual DPI and font size adjustment.
Generate a Compliant FigureWhy Figure Formatting Causes Desk Rejections
Journal figure requirements exist for a reason: print and digital reproduction demands specific technical parameters. A figure rendered at 72 DPI (the screen default) becomes a blurry mess at 300 DPI print scale. Text set at 12 pt on your monitor may shrink to unreadable 3 pt when the figure is scaled down to single-column width.
The most common formatting failures that trigger revision requests or desk rejections:
- Wrong DPI - matplotlib defaults to 100 DPI. Most journals require 300-600.
- Non-standard figure width - creating figures at arbitrary sizes then letting the journal resize them destroys font sizes and line weights.
- Incorrect font - using serif fonts when the journal requires sans-serif, or font sizes below the minimum.
- Wrong file format - submitting JPEG (lossy compression artifacts) when TIFF or EPS is required.
- Embedded text as raster - text in TIFF files that cannot be edited. Many journals require editable text in vector formats.
- Color mode mismatch - submitting RGB when the journal needs CMYK for print, causing color shifts.
The fix is straightforward: set these parameters at the start of your plotting script, not at the end. Create your figure at the exact publication width from the beginning, and every element (text, lines, markers) will be sized correctly.
Plotivy handles all of this automatically. Tell it which journal you are targeting, and it configures the figure dimensions, DPI, fonts, and export format to match. No more manual parameter hunting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What DPI do I need for journal figures?
Most journals require 300 DPI minimum for halftone (photographic) images and 600 DPI for line art. This must be at the final print size - creating a large figure and shrinking it does not increase the effective resolution.
Should I submit TIFF or EPS?
EPS and PDF are vector formats - use them for graphs, charts, and diagrams where text must remain editable and sharp at any size. TIFF is raster - use it for photographs, microscopy, and images with continuous tone. When in doubt, vector formats are preferable for data plots.
What is single-column vs double-column width?
Journals print in columns. Single-column figures (typically 80-89 mm) fit within one text column. Double-column figures (170-183 mm) span the full page width. Choose based on how much detail your figure needs - simple plots work at single-column, multi-panel figures usually need double-column.
Why does my matplotlib font look different when I open the exported figure?
Matplotlib may not embed fonts in the file. Set plt.rcParams["pdf.fonttype"] = 42 for PDF and plt.rcParams["ps.fonttype"] = 42 for PostScript to embed TrueType fonts. This ensures the font renders identically on all systems.
Do I need CMYK color mode?
For online-only journals (eLife, PLOS, most open access), RGB is fine. For journals with print editions (Nature, Science, Angewandte Chemie), check whether they convert automatically or require CMYK submission. Most modern journals accept RGB and handle conversion internally.
How do I check if my figure meets requirements before submission?
Open your exported figure in a viewer and check: (1) zoom to 100% - is text readable? (2) Check file properties for resolution. (3) Measure the figure dimensions in your image editor. (4) Print at actual size to verify. Or use Plotivy to automatically generate figures that match your target journal specifications.
Nature Figure Requirements Spec Sheet
Avoid desk rejection due to sub-standard figure formatting. Download our single-page, print-ready reference covering every specification you need to check before submitting to Nature journals.
Apply these specifications to your figure automatically
Plotivy generates figures that meet journal requirements without manual DPI and font size adjustment.
Generate a Compliant Figure