| name | sci-figure-format |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| description | Guide for creating publication-quality scientific figures that meet major journal standards (Nature, Science, ACS, RSC). Use this skill when users ask about scientific figure formatting, journal requirements, colorblind-safe palettes, resolution/DPI, file formats, fonts, or figure dimensions for publication. |
Scientific Figure Formatting
Guidelines for creating publication-quality figures that meet standards of Nature, Science, ACS, and RSC journals.
Universal Standards (All Major Journals)
| Element | Requirement |
|---|
| Colors | Okabe-Ito palette (colorblind-safe) |
| Font | Helvetica or Arial, 6-8 pt |
| Resolution | 600 DPI minimum |
| Format | PDF (graphs) or TIFF (images) |
| Width | 3.5" (single column) or 7" (double column) |
| Line weight | ≥0.5 pt |
1. Color Palettes
Okabe-Ito (Default - Categorical Data ≤8 groups)
#E69F00
#56B4E9
#009E73
#F0E442
#0072B2
#D55E00
#CC79A7
#999999
When to use: Line plots, bar charts, scatter plots, any categorical data
ColorBrewer Set3 (9-12 categories)
#8DD3C7
#FFFFB3
#BEBADA
#FB8072
#80B1D3
#FDB462
#B3DE69
#FCCDE5
#D9D9D9
#BC80BD
#CCEBC5
#FFED6F
When to use: More than 8 categories needed
PiYG Diverging (Data with midpoint)
#C51B7D
#DE77AE
#F1B6DA
#FDE0EF
#E6F5D0
#B8E186
#7FBC41
#4D9221
When to use: Correlation matrices, positive vs negative values
Why: Avoids red-green, colorblind-safe
BuRd Diverging (Blue-Red)
#2166AC
#4393C3
#92C5DE
#D1E5F0
#F7F7F7
#FDDBC7
#F4A582
#D6604D
#B2182B
When to use: Temperature data, classic diverging scale
Two-Color Pairs
- Blue-Orange: #0072B2 + #E69F00 (most versatile)
- Green-Magenta: #009E73 + #CC79A7
- Cyan-Vermillion: #56B4E9 + #D55E00
Avoid: Red-Green combinations (colorblind issue)
2. Typography
Font: Helvetica or Arial (sans-serif only)
Sizes:
- Axis labels: 8 pt
- Tick labels: 7 pt
- Legend: 7 pt
- Panel labels (a,b,c): 8-10 pt bold
Minimum: 5 pt (Nature/ACS requirement)
Recommended: 6-8 pt for readability
3. Resolution & File Formats
Resolution:
- Default: 600 DPI (exceeds all journal minimums)
- Color images: 300-600 DPI
- Line art: 600-1200 DPI
File Formats:
- Graphs/charts: PDF (vector, preferred) or EPS
- Photos/images: TIFF or PNG
- Avoid: JPEG (lossy compression)
Key principle: Use vector formats (PDF/EPS) for graphs - they scale without quality loss
4. Figure Dimensions
Standard widths:
- Single column: 3.5 inches (9 cm)
- Double column: 7 inches (18 cm)
- Height: ≤10 inches
Journal-specific widths:
- Nature: 90mm / 180mm
- Science: 3.5-7.3 inches
- ACS: 3.25" / 7"
- RSC: 8.3cm / 17.1cm
Design at final print size to ensure text legibility and correct proportions.
5. Design Principles
Do:
- Keep simple and uncluttered
- Use clear axis labels with units (e.g., "Time (s)")
- Remove unnecessary gridlines
- Maintain consistency across all figures
- Ensure line thickness ≥0.5 pt (prefer 1-1.5 pt)
Avoid:
- Red-green color combinations
- Rainbow colormaps
- Font sizes <5 pt
- 3D effects
- Serif fonts
- JPEG for graphs
6. Pre-Submission Checklist
Format:
Typography:
Dimensions:
Colors:
Design:
Workflow
When helping users format figures:
- Select color palette:
- ≤8 categories → Okabe-Ito
- 9-12 categories → Set3
- Diverging data → PiYG or BuRd
- 2 colors → Blue-Orange
- Apply standards:
- Font: Helvetica/Arial, 6-8 pt
- Resolution: 600 DPI
- Width: 3.5" or 7"
- Format: PDF (graphs) or TIFF (images)
- Verify design:
- Simple, clear layout
- Labels with units
- Line weights ≥0.5 pt
