Journal Figure Requirements: Size, DPI and File Formats

Figures are one of the most common reasons a submission is sent back for technical changes. Most journals ask for the same basic things.

Resolution (DPI)

Photos and illustrations: usually at least 300 dpi at the final printed size.
Line art and charts: often 600–1200 dpi, or a vector file (PDF, EPS or SVG).
DPI only means something together with size: a 300 dpi image that is 3 cm wide cannot be enlarged to 18 cm without becoming blurry.

Width

Journals print in columns. Many use a single-column width of about 8–9 cm and a double-column width of about 17–18 cm. Design the figure at the size it will be printed, so that text stays readable (commonly 5–9 pt).

File formats

TIFF is widely accepted for raster images.
PDF, EPS or SVG keep charts and diagrams sharp at any size.
PNG is fine for review and many online-only journals; JPEG is best avoided for diagrams.

Fonts and colours

Use a standard sans-serif font such as Arial or Helvetica, keep font sizes consistent across panels, and choose colour-blind safe colours. Label panels a, b, c (or A, B, C) as your journal prefers.

Quick checklist

Final width matches the column size.
Text is at least 5–6 pt at that width.
Exported at 300+ dpi, or as a vector file.
Every abbreviation is explained in the legend.
Error bars say what they show (SD, SEM or CI) and n is given.

Always read your target journal's author guidelines: the exact numbers differ between publishers. SciFigures exports PNG and TIFF at 300 dpi plus PDF and editable SVG, and has single- and double-column size presets.

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