journal_requirements.md

Figure requirements by journal

This document summarizes formatting requirements for figures across various journals.

Note that Science's 2025 author preparation guide (1, for a 2-column format) directly contradicts its easier-to-find instructions (2) for the old 3-column format. Ignore the latter.

Figure typography requirements

Journal	Family	Fonts	Font size	Source
Nature Neuroscience	Nature	Arial, Helvetica	5–7 pt	1
Science	AAAS	Arial, Helvetica	Panel parts: 10pt bold; Labels: 6-9pt	1

Nearly ubiquitous typography requirements

• All journals require sans-serif fonts for figure text.
• The same typeface should always be used across figures.
• Never use more than 3 discrete font sizes across all figures. For example, Science allows labels to be 6-9 pt, but only 3 discrete sizes within that range (e.g. 6, 7, and 8, but not 9).
• Text must always be editable as text, never rasterized, flattened, outlined, or converted to paths.

Figure size requirements

Journal	Family	Figure type	Max allowed figure sizes	Source
Nature Neuroscience	Nature	1-col small	88 x 130 mm ; Caption < 300 words	1
Nature Neuroscience	Nature	1-col medium	88 x 180 mm ; Caption < 150 words	1
Nature Neuroscience	Nature	1-col medium	88 x 220 mm ; Caption < 50 words	1
Nature Neuroscience	Nature	2-col small	180 x 185 mm ; Caption < 300 words	1
Nature Neuroscience	Nature	2-col medium	180 x 210 mm ; Caption < 150 words	1
Nature Neuroscience	Nature	2-col medium	180 x 225 mm ; Caption < 50 words	1
Science	AAAS	1-col	3.6 x ~9.585"; Must fit caption	1
Science	AAAS	2-col	7.25 x ~9.585"; Must fit caption	1

Other figure requirements

Journal	Family	Minimum line weight	Raster dpi	File formats	Source
Nature Neuroscience	Nature	—	>300	ai, eps, pdf, ppt	1
Science	AAAS	0.28pt (~0.1 mm)	300-500	ai > eps > pdf > svg	1

Nearly ubiquitous other requirements

• Always provide figures in RGB color format, never CMYK.
• If something can be provided in a vector graphics format, do it.