Journal Figure Requirements Explained: Resolution, Colour Mode & File Types

Journal artwork guidelines are full of technical terms that trip up even experienced researchers. Here's what they actually mean.

Resolution (DPI)

Resolution is detail. Journals typically want 300 DPI for photographs, and 600–1200 DPI for line art and charts, so figures stay sharp in print. Low-resolution images look blurry and get rejected.

Colour mode

RGB is for screens; CMYK is for print. Many journals require CMYK so colours print accurately. Submitting the wrong mode can shift how your figure looks in the final article.

File types

Vector formats like EPS keep line art crisp at any size, while TIFF suits photographs. Avoid low-quality JPEGs — compression artefacts don't belong in a scientific figure.

Getting it right

Meeting all of these at once, for a specific journal, is fiddly. If you'd rather not, our figure formatting service handles the specs for you from $50 per figure — data untouched, PDF proof included.