creating-figures

name	creating-figures
description	Creates publication-quality scientific figures for academic papers using TikZ. Use when creating block diagrams, system architectures, flowcharts, or technical illustrations for papers and theses.

Creating Scientific Figures

Create compact, print-friendly figures for academic papers using LaTeX TikZ.

Quick Start

Minimal block diagram:

\documentclass[tikz,border=2mm]{standalone}
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta,positioning}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[
  block/.style={rectangle, draw, fill=gray!15, minimum width=2cm, minimum height=0.8cm, font=\small\sffamily},
  arrow/.style={->, >=Stealth, thick}
]
  \node[block] (a) {Input};
  \node[block, right=of a] (b) {Process};
  \node[block, right=of b] (c) {Output};
  \draw[arrow] (a) -- (b);
  \draw[arrow] (b) -- (c);
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

Design Principles

Key principles for academic figures:

1. Grayscale palette: Print-friendly, no color dependency
2. Compactness: Minimize whitespace, maximize information
3. Consistency: Uniform sizing, spacing, typography
4. Hierarchy: Line weight and gray levels show importance

See PRINCIPLES.md for complete design guidelines.

Implementation

TikZ Block Diagrams: See TIKZ.md for:

• Preamble setup and required packages
• Standard style definitions
• Common patterns (linear, parallel, feedback loops)
• Positioning techniques
• Edge labels and annotations

Working Example: See examples/tikz/block-diagram.tex for a complete PID control system diagram.

Standard Styles

Copy these styles to your preamble:

% Grayscale colors
\definecolor{figdark}{gray}{0.25}
\definecolor{figlight}{gray}{0.85}

% Block styles
\tikzset{
  block/.style={rectangle, draw=figdark, fill=figlight,
    minimum width=2cm, minimum height=0.8cm,
    text centered, font=\small\sffamily},
  terminal/.style={rectangle, draw=figdark, fill=white,
    minimum width=1.5cm, minimum height=0.6cm,
    text centered, font=\small\sffamily},
  arrow/.style={->, >=Stealth, thick, draw=figdark},
  group/.style={draw=gray, dashed, fill=gray!5,
    rounded corners=2pt, inner sep=8pt}
}

Common Patterns

Linear Flow

\node[block] (a) {A};
\node[block, right=of a] (b) {B};
\draw[arrow] (a) -- (b);

Feedback Loop

\node[block] (proc) {Process};
\node[block, below=of proc] (fb) {Feedback};
\draw[arrow] (proc.east) -- ++(0.5,0) |- (fb.east);
\draw[arrow] (fb.west) -| ($(proc.west)+(-0.5,0)$) -- (proc.west);

Grouped Subsystem

\node[block] (a) {A};
\node[block, right=of a] (b) {B};
\begin{scope}[on background layer]
  \node[group, fit=(a)(b), label=above:Subsystem] {};
\end{scope}

Workflow

1. Plan layout: Sketch block arrangement on paper
2. Define styles: Set up colors and node styles
3. Place nodes: Use relative positioning (right=of, below=of)
4. Draw connections: Add arrows with appropriate routing
5. Add labels: Annotate edges and groups
6. Refine spacing: Adjust for visual balance
7. Test print: Verify grayscale readability

File Organization

your-paper/
├── figures/
│   ├── system-diagram.tex    % Standalone TikZ source
│   └── system-diagram.pdf    % Compiled figure
└── paper.tex                 % \includegraphics{figures/system-diagram}

Compile standalone figures separately, then include as PDF for faster paper compilation.