Journal of Neuroscience figure size & submission guidelines
The Society for Neuroscience publishes two sets of numbers — looser guidance for the first submission, strict final-size requirements for the accepted paper. Both are below; the presets are chosen to satisfy each.
| Column widths (final size) | 85 mm (1 column) · 116 mm (1.5 column) · 176 mm (2 columns) — maximums; figures are submitted at the size they are to appear |
|---|---|
| Initial submission | The Preparing Your Manuscript guidance for first submissions uses slightly smaller maximums (83 / 131 / 173 mm) and accepts JPEG |
| Maximum height | Not stated in the final-size instructions (the initial-submission guidance caps height at ≈234 mm) |
| Resolution | Colour 300 dpi minimum · greyscale 300 dpi minimum · monochrome (bitmap) artwork 1,200 dpi — the journal splits by image type rather than halftone/line-art. At initial submission: line art 1,000 dpi (600 minimum), colour 400 dpi preferred |
| Panel labels | Not specified in either document — the preset uses A, B, C capitals |
| Other text | Final files: no size stated, but vector text must be converted to outlines. Initial-submission guidance: lettering 8–12 pt, nothing under 6 pt |
| File formats | TIFF or EPS as separate files at final size (vector figures as EPS with fonts outlined). JPEG only at initial submission |
| Colour | RGB — colour figures should be in RGB format |
| Figure count | No limit on the number of main figures; all result illustrations must include a scale bar |
The buttons open the studio with the width, export DPI and label style already set — at 173 / 83 mm, inside both the initial-submission and final-size limits.
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 Journal of Neuroscience; 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: Journal of Neuroscience — information for authors. 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