Science Advances figure size & submission guidelines
The journal's author page states no numbers itself — it sends you to its Guide to Preparing Figures. These are that guide's numbers, converted from its inches and centimetres.
| Column widths | 90 mm (1 column) · figures between one and two columns may be at most 144 mm wide · 184 mm (2 columns). The guide states 9 / 14.4 / 18.4 cm |
|---|---|
| Maximum height | 227 mm absolute — figure and legend together must fit within the page depth; 199 mm is the recommended maximum so the legend fits |
| Resolution | Photos and other raster images at least 300 dpi at final size — the same 300 dpi floor applies to figures combining photos with line art. Black-and-white line art at least 1,200 dpi. Files above 600 dpi are downsampled to 600, so extra resolution buys nothing except on line art |
| Panel labels | Capital letters, 9 pt bold (sub-part labels, if unavoidable, are lowercase) |
| Fonts | Sans serif throughout, preferably Myriad: ordinary figure text 8 pt by default and never below 6 pt; the journal sets legends at 7.5 pt. Minimum line weight 0.28 pt |
| File formats | Vector preferred — AI or PDF. Raster line art: TIFF or PNG. Photos and greyscale: TIFF or JPEG. One single file per figure; figures embedded in Word or PowerPoint files are not accepted |
| Colour | RGB — colour figures must be supplied in RGB, not CMYK |
| Figure count | Up to ten figures and/or tables combined in the manuscript |
The buttons open the studio with the width, 300 dpi export and 9 pt bold capital labels already set. For line art, export PDF/SVG from the studio — vector output clears the 1,200 dpi tier by being resolution-independent.
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 Science Advances; 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: Science Advances — Guide to Preparing Figures (linked from the journal's author page). 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