PLOS Biology figure size & submission guidelines
PLOS Biology does not use fixed columns — it gives a width window and lets you align to the text column. The numbers below are from the journal's own figures page.
| Figure width | No fixed columns — minimum 66.8 mm, maximum 190.5 mm. To align a figure with the article's text column in the PDF, make it no wider than 132 mm |
|---|---|
| Maximum height | 222.3 mm (at that height the figure fills the whole page, excluding the caption) |
| Resolution | 300–600 dpi for all figure types — no separate tiers. Images should be at least 300 dpi; figures with many small elements render best at 600 |
| Panel labels | No mandated in-figure style — PLOS's caption guidance refers to panels with lettered labels such as (A) or (a). The preset uses A, B, C capitals, matching the PLOS ONE presets |
| Fonts | Arial, Times or Symbol only, 8–12 pt. In EPS files, embed fonts or convert text to outlines |
| File formats | TIFF or EPS only · under 10 MB per file · TIFFs flattened and LZW-compressed, with no alpha channels |
| Colour | RGB (8 bit per channel) or grayscale only — CMYK is not accepted |
| Multi-panel figures | Combine panels into a single file; captions belong in the manuscript, not inside the figure |
The buttons open the studio with the width, export DPI and label style already set for PLOS Biology.
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 PLOS Biology; 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: PLOS Biology — figures (author guidelines). 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