Nature Methods figure size & submission guidelines
Nature Methods states no numeric figure specs of its own — as a Nature Portfolio journal it follows the shared portfolio figure guidance. Here it is, with the studio pre-set to match.
| Journal-specific specs | None published — as a Nature Portfolio journal, Nature Methods follows the shared portfolio figure guidance below |
|---|---|
| Column widths | 89 mm (single) · 183 mm (double) |
| Maximum height | 170 mm (to leave room for the figure legend underneath) |
| Resolution | Photographs at least 300 dpi — the portfolio's export checklist asks 450 dpi for images; line art must be vector artwork with editable text, no raster tier is offered |
| Panel labels | Lowercase a, b, c — 8 pt, bold, upright (not italic) |
| Other text | 5–7 pt at final size |
| File formats | Main figures: .ai, .eps or .pdf preferred (layered Photoshop, PowerPoint-to-PDF, plain .svg, Excel and .ps also accepted) — JPEG, TIFF and PNG are NOT accepted for main figures |
| Font | Sans-serif — Helvetica or Arial preferred; fonts embedded, text not outlined |
| Colour | RGB recommended (print artwork is converted to CMYK automatically) |
The button opens the studio with the width, export DPI and lowercase 8 pt labels already set to the portfolio standard.
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 Nature Methods; 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: Nature Portfolio — research figure guide (the journal defers to the shared portfolio guidance). 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