eLife figure size & submission guidelines
eLife is online-only and has no columns — instead it sets a floor under every figure: at least 100 mm wide, at least 300 dpi, whatever the figure type. The numbers below are from eLife's author guide.
| Figure width | No column system. Minimum physical width 100 mm for any figure; a figure intended to span the full typeset page must be uploaded at a minimum of 200 mm wide. No maximum width is stated |
|---|---|
| Maximum height | Not stated — the guide notes eLife has no space or printing constraints, but composite figures should not extend beyond one PDF page (multi-page figures are not supported) |
| Resolution | Minimum 300 dpi for every figure type — photographs, line art and combinations alike; eLife states one rule, not tiers |
| Panel labels | Not specified in the author guide — the preset uses A, B, C capitals |
| Font | Not specified in the author guide |
| File formats | TIFF, JPG, EPS, AI or PDF. TIFF files must be 8-bit; PDF figures must be saved as vector images |
| Colour | RGB — provide images in an RGB colour space |
| Figure count | Research Articles: no limit on display items, and any number of colour figures. Short Reports: no more than three or four display items |
The buttons open the studio with the width, 300 dpi export and label style already set.
Two eLife pages, two stories: an older eLife figures page lists 87 / 180 mm column-style sizes and no resolution minimum. The author guide — the document submissions are checked against — states the rules above (≥100 mm, ≥300 dpi, ≥200 mm for full-page figures), and those are what the presets follow.
How it works
- Add your panels — drop in images or PDF pages; white margins are trimmed automatically.
- Arrange & label — the width, DPI and label style are already set for eLife; drag panels into order.
- Export — free PNG at 100 DPI to check the layout; high-res PNG / SVG / PDF (300–1200 DPI) with a figure credit.
Pricing: free preview · Manuscript pack $7 (12 figures) · Researcher annual $79 · Lab annual $249. One credit exports one figure in any format, and re-exports of the same figure are free for 24 hours — built for revision rounds.
Specs summarised from the official source: eLife — author guide (full text). Journals update their rules — always confirm against the current official guidelines before you submit.
More guides: All journal figure guides · How to combine graphs into one figure · Figure resolution & DPI, explained · Back to the studio